Pirates of the Mist
by silverwolf1213
Summary: The Blue Pirates are a crew of rogues, thugs, and ex-shinobi.  The Blue Tiger of the Mist, a nearly invincible strategic killer, is their captain.  How are the Leaf ninja going to deal with this renowned S-class criminal?
1. The Blue Pirates

**Hi! Okay, here's my story combining the Narutoverse with pirates. I know, it's probably really cliche to do this, but I couldn't help it :D So I really hope you enjoy this!**

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

"Run! They are coming!"

Everywhere, people scrambled about, trying to find safety. Unfortunately, there would be no safety anywhere they ran. As the citizens of the village ran, giant tidal waves of water came crashing down on the buildings. The water flooded the area. Many people were swept up in crashing waves.

Those who were fortunate enough to still be standing weren't out of the woods yet, however. Everyone had to keep moving. There was no time to waste. If any of those bandits caught up, they would all be dead. So they had to keep running away.

Away from… them.

The Blue Pirates.

The Blue Pirates were a hoard of rogue ninjas and thieves. They were the most well-known pirate crew of the era, maybe even in history. They attacked any ship that crossed their paths, and they struck all villages that were surrounded by water. Sometimes, they even attacked on the land. Towns and cities that were settled deep inside the continent were known to have been attacked by the Blue Pirates.

These rogues were S-class criminals. There were missing-ninjas from different villages as well as skilled thieves, weapons masters, and killers.

And as a crew, they were untouchable. No matter where they struck, the pirates would leave their fallen targets to head onto the next. The greatest warriors were never able to take any of them down. The pirate crew of thirty rogues was elusive. Their captain was an amazing strategist who was identified only by the midnight blue cloak that showed off the crew symbol. And this symbol struck fear into everyone's hearts. The symbol was a yellow circle with three blue slashes cutting through it.

Many people who had encountered the Blue Pirates were scarred by the experience. The crew would attack, first swiftly and quietly, and then their strikes would destroy any remaining parts of their targets.

The members of the crew were all well-trained in whatever their job was. And they were intimidating. People who were unfortunate enough to meet a Blue Pirate would only see a heartless criminal who only took what he or she wanted and then left, spilling blood whenever necessary.

But the true fear that was brought along with this pirate crew was the captain. The amazing strategist who seemed to know everything about every village and every ship was known for being amazingly merciless in everything. No one actually knew the true identity of the captain, for no one had lived to tell the tale of what he looked like. And so, he was named a tiger. The Blue Tiger of the Mist.

As the citizens of the Wave Country continued to run, another tsunami came crashing down, destroying any remaining buildings that were somehow still standing.

The villagers made a mad dash toward the bridge that connected their country to the main continent. The Great Naruto Bridge stood proud and tall as the people ran across it to get to safety.

Suddenly, loud cackling laughter could be heard over the screams of terror. The pirates were making their way through the remaining pieces of the village, chasing down the villagers. If possible, the citizens ran faster across the bridge, trying to flee from their predators.

One little boy stumbled, and his mother shrieked in terror. She scrambled back to her son, trying to pull him up. "Inari! C'mon, you have to get up!" she screamed.

Tazuna sprinted back to his daughter and grandson. He pulled both to their feet, dragging them along. "Come on, move it you two! We got no time to waste!" the old man yelled.

All of a sudden, the small family was surrounded by ten muscular men. All of them were scary-looking and looked ready to kill at any moment.

"Leave us alone!" Tazuna yelled. In response to his demand, the pirates proceeded to grab and tie down the three family members.

"Please, don't hurt us!" Tsunami screamed.

The bandits only snickered down at them as they watched the family struggle against their restraints. Suddenly, a soft stepping could be heard, and the pirates cleared the way so that a mysterious figure could walk forward. The person was wearing a midnight blue cloak, with the hood pulled up so that their face was covered from the shadows.

Tazuna and his family sharply inhaled as their eyes took in the figure. This was the captain. And no one ever lived after meeting the captain.

"Are you the famous bridge-builder named Tazuna?" a voice whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Y-Yes, I am," the old man replied feebly.

"Good." The captain stepped forward again and grabbed Inari. Quickly, a hand emerged from the cloak, holding up a kunai. The knife was instantly placed at the boy's throat.

"No!" Tsunami immediately screamed in protest.

"Don't hurt him!" Tazuna yelled. Inari stood stock still, eyes wide. But he refused to show fear. He had made a promise to someone that he would no longer be a cowardly crybaby. So he stood his ground bravely, not daring to show any hint of fright.

"Oh, don't worry," the voice replied. "I won't kill the kid. Unless of course, you fail to obey my orders!"

"Why should I do anything you ask me? You all are just a bunch of criminals!" Tazuna said.

"Ahem…" the voice interrupted.

The kunai was pressed deeper into Inari's throat, drawing blood. The old man instantly shut his mouth and flinched as he saw the crimson liquid appear. The woman involuntarily released a sob as she saw her son being held captive.

"That's better," the voice continued. There was a hint of amusement in the person's tone. "Now, I need for you, Tazuna, to build me a ship."

"I don't build ships," Tazuna replied honestly. "And besides, you already have a perfectly fine ship resting in our harbor."

"Yes, it is true that my ship is in great condition," the voice said. "However, I require a second one. I do not need to explain my reasoning to you. All I need is for you to oblige. And I don't care if you don't build ships," the person continued harshly. "If you want your precious grandson to live to see another day, I had better see a finished ship in the dock in three days."

"Three days?" Tazuna repeated in surprise. "B-But…that's not…"

"And just to make sure you do your job," the captain interrupted as if Tazuna hadn't even spoken, "I'll be sitting in the harbor. And my crewmen will be watching your every move, along with the rest of this pathetic village's citizens."

The gray old man looked from his grandson to the person keeping him captive. Then he sighed. "Alright, I'll build you a ship in three days…" he whispered.

"Good choice," the person replied. The figure then turned away, keeping a hold on Inari. "Then again… it's not as if you were really given another option anyway." And with that, the captain and Inari disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

The remaining crewmen cut the ropes around Tazuna and Tsunami's wrists. After snickering and chuckling at the distraught villagers, the pirates jumped away quickly.

The woman immediately ran over to hug her father. "Oh, Dad…what do we do?"

Tazuna sighed. "I build a ship," he said sadly. "As for you, go send a messenger for help."

* * *

Inari was immediately thrown in a cage once he and the captain had appeared on the ship. The rest of the crewmen appeared, and they all immediately huddled around the cage, poking and provoking the small boy.

"Leave me alone, you punks!" Inari yelled.

"The kid's got spunk," a man with red hair said as he stared down at the child.

"Ugh, I hate spunk," a woman with long black hair that reached down to the floor said. "Why'd the captain have to pick a brat as a hostage?"

"Hey, do you wanna piece of me, wench?" Inari yelled.

"What'd you say, you little monster?" the woman screamed as she lunged at the cage.

"Tsubame!" a voice scolded at the woman. The raven-haired woman instantly stopped in her tracks and looked at her captain in shame.

"I apologize, Captain," the woman named Tsubame said.

The captain nodded at the apology and then sat down in a large cushioned golden throne. A large table sat in front of the chair, and some of the crewmates stood around it.

"So, how much did this village have to offer?" the captain asked, still wearing the dark blue cloak with the hood pulled up.

Instantly, the crew began to empty sacks of gold and jewelry onto the table. There were wallets and money pouches here and there. There were several different trinkets of value. The captain smirked.

"Very nice…"

"Captain, may I ask a question?" the red-haired man asked.

"The floor is yours, Rikuto."

"Why are we going to stay here in the village? We've never done that before. And I think it's evident that the villagers are going to call for help to attempt to get rid of us," the man called Rikuto said.

"Yes, everything you say is true," the captain replied. "However, if we run away, the ship will never be finished. And we need that ship as a means of holding our treasures as well as a second means of escape, should the problem arise. If we stay, we can ensure that the ship will be built."

"What about the shinobi that will surely be coming to arrest us?" another man asked. He had dark green hair and serious eyes.

"Kaito, do you underestimate our crew?" the captain asked. The green-haired man shrunk in shame. "You are all formidable ninjas, thieves, and assassins. I believe that you can handle anyone who dares to confront you. Every one of you has already taken down several shinobi on your own. And should there be someone who does, by some unfathomable occurrence, happen to stand a chance against you…" The captain took this opportunity to take out the same kunai that had been used to cut Inari's throat and threw it at the table so that it stuck there. "They won't stand a chance against me. After all, that's why they call me the Blue Tiger of the Mist."


	2. New Mission!

"What did you just say?" Sakura asked as she stared at her master. Sakura, Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi were standing in the Hokage's office. And Sakura was pretty surprised at the request.

"I'll elaborate more when your second team arrives," Tsunade said.

"Aw, c'mon, Granny Tsunade! We don't need another team! I can handle this mission all by myself!" Naruto complained childishly.

The blonde woman glared at the sixteen-year-old. To save all their lives, Kakashi quickly clubbed Naruto in the back of his head.

"Ow!" Naruto yelled as he rubbed his now sore head.

"I apologize for his rude outburst, Lady Hokage," Kakashi nervously smiled underneath his mask.

Tsunade huffed and sat back down in her seat. Just then, a knock sounded from the other side of the door. "Enter," the Hokage said. At the order, Team Kurenai walked inside. "Ah, good. Your second team has arrived," Tsunade said as she glanced at Naruto, daring him to complain again.

He didn't, which meant he had learned his lesson.

"So, what is our mission, Lady Tsunade?" Kurenai asked.

"Well, just this morning, I received this letter from the Land of Waves," Tsunade said as she held up a piece of paper. At the name of the country, the three original members of Team 7 instantly became alert.

Kakashi took the note and read it to himself at first, and then he proceeded to read it aloud. "'To the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Blue Pirates have attacked our village. We are in dire need of assistance.' It is signed by Tsunami."

"Tsunami? How're Inari and old man Tazuna?" Naruto asked.

"The note doesn't say," Kakashi replied.

"As I have already told Team Kakashi," Tsunade started as she looked over at Team Kurenai, "you two teams will be taking care of this pirate problem. If I had more jounin available, I would be sending them along as well. Unfortunately, that is not the case. So I am depending on Team Kurenai's tracking abilities and Team Kakashi's offensive specialties. Your mission is to get rid of the Blue Pirates in the Land of Waves."

"Understood," Kurenai and Kakashi replied.

"Good. Now, you all are dismissed. Prepare for your mission as soon as possible and depart when you are ready," Tsunade ordered.

"Right," all eight shinobi replied. Then they all left the room, leaving Tsunade to her thoughts.

* * *

Once the last member of the team arrived (Kakashi, of course), the Leaf shinobi left the village and headed toward the Land of Waves.

As the ninja flew through the trees, Naruto asked the question that had been bugging him since hearing the letter from Tsunami. "Kakashi-sensei…who are the Blue Pirates?"

Kakashi, who was in the lead, glanced back at his former student before he spoke. "The Blue Pirates are a crew of rogues who have destroyed ships and villages alike. For the past few years, they have traveled the globe, stealing and plundering. No one has ever been able to catch them."

"Wait a second," Sakura said. "They're just pirates, right? Surely, they can't be that tough."

"You don't understand, Sakura," Kurenai said from next to the pink-haired kunoichi. "The Blue Pirates aren't your normal thieves."

"W-What do y-you m-mean, Sensei?" Hinata stuttered.

"The Blue Pirates are all extremely talented. They are all listed as S-class criminals," Kurenai said.

"What?" the group of adolescents yelled in shock.

Kakashi nodded his head at Kurenai's words. "Every single member of that crew is a master. Some are weapons experts, some are skilled stealthy thieves, and some are rogue shinobi from different villages. But almost all of them are trained assassins."

"Then why the heck is the Hokage sending us on this mission?" Kiba yelled as he rode on top of Akamaru.

"You heard Lady Tsunade," Kakashi said. "With the tracking abilities and enhanced attack strategies that our teams possess, we might be able to at least be able take down some of the pirates."

"How many of them are there, anyway?" Sakura asked.

"Thirty, including the captain," Kakashi replied. "But the captain is the most elusive and dangerous out of all of them."

"Yes, I have heard of the Blue Pirate captain," Sai said. "Rumor has it that the captain is a missing-nin of the Hidden Mist Village. Anyone who has ever come face to face with him was killed then and there. He can kill with little effort, but since no one has ever actually seen him, they call him the Blue Tiger of the Mist."

"Well then, I can't wait to meet him!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "Finally, a cool mission to test out my strength!"

"Now hold on there, Naruto," Kakashi warned. "Didn't you hear what Sai just said? The captain is a dangerous enemy. If we're lucky, we won't have to meet him. Our mission is to get them to leave the Wave Country."

"Aw, that's no fun," the blonde kid moaned.

* * *

After a few hours of traveling, the two Leaf teams finally arrived in the Land of Waves. They stood on the giant bridge that Tazuna had built all those years ago. Naruto smiled up at the name of the bridge.

"The Great Naruto Bridge?" Kiba asked as he looked at the sign.

"Yeah! After my first B-rank mission, the people wanted to name it after me!" Naruto grinned happily.

"Geez, as if your head needs to get any bigger…" Kiba said.

"What'd you say?" Naruto yelled.

"You heard me!"

"Kiba, Naruto, stop fighting," Shino said as he appeared between the two. "We are here on a mission. This is not about Naruto and his ego."

"Yeah, Kiba!" Naruto agreed. Then that last part that Shino had said registered in Naruto's mind. "Hey!"

Kiba snickered. Sakura smacked her forehead with her palm. Hinata let a small smile grace her lips as she looked at her crush. The two teachers shook their heads in pity.

"Alright, we need to find Tsunami," Kakashi said as he led the shinobi across the bridge and into the village.

Sakura gasped as she looked at the remains of the village. "I…I can't believe this happened…"

The village was in worse shape than when Gato and his goons were running the place. At least then, there were people around. Now, it looked like a ghost town. The place was deserted. Any buildings that were still standing were cut down to about half their original size. Doors and shutters scattered the streets.

But the most frightening aspect was the blood. There was so much of it. Corpses were dispersed all over, and their blood leaked out into the water that surrounded the village. The crimson liquid was splattered all over the ground. It gave off a terrible stench that filled the air. That terrible metallic taste seeped into everyone's senses, and it made everyone want to vomit.

Hinata was the first to break. She ran over to the edge of the bridge and threw up her breakfast. Sakura immediately ran over and used her healing jutsu to try and steady her nerves. After a few minutes, the brunette backed away from the edge and joined the rest of the team.

"This…this is…" Kurenai started.

"This is sickening!" Naruto finished. "I don't care who this Blue Tiger is! He is so going to pay big time for destroying this village!"

Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Just calm down for a minute. We'll get to the bottom of this. But for now, let's find Tazuna and his family."

Naruto growled in anger, but then nodded as he followed his teacher into the town.

Slowly and cautiously, the ninja walked through the village. The further they walked the more depressing and gruesome the scene became. More and more bodies were scattered across the streets. Dried blood was everywhere.

As they walked, Akamaru began to whimper. Kiba looked down at his faithful companion, and then he glanced at the squad leaders. The two adults heard the dog's whimper and knew what it meant. They were being watched.

"Hinata…activate your Byakugan," Kurenai said.

"Okay," the girl replied quietly.

She blinked, and then her pale eyes became more intensified. The veins around her eyes became distinct. Her vision went from colored to gray and white. Hinata used her Byakugan to scour the area. And just as Akamaru had indicated, there were people watching them.

"There are about fifteen people surrounding us," Hinata whispered.

Kurenai nodded. "Naruto, you ready?" Kakashi whispered.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto yelled excitedly. He did a quick hand seal, and suddenly, ten Shadow Clones appeared.

* * *

"Oh darn, it appears they have discovered us," Kaito said, faking the fear in his voice.

"Well, shall we then?" Tsubame asked.

"We shall," Rikuto replied. He signaled for the rest of the ambush to jump out.

The three crewmates jumped from their hiding spots, along with the other crew members. The Naruto clones instantly sprung into action, taking on several of the pirates. The other Leaf shinobi jumped in to attack as well.

Tsubame pulled out her bow and five arrows. She focused her chakra into them, making them faster and sharper. "Secret Technique: Dragon Teeth!" She released the string, and the arrows destroyed five Naruto clones.

Kaito performed a series of hand seals and then threw his hands to the ground. "Poison Style: Toxic Spikes Jutsu!" Instantly, a field of spikes appeared beneath the feet of the shinobi. One Naruto clone accidentally stepped on a spike. He screamed in pain as his skin became ghostly pale. Then the clone puffed away into nothing.

Kakashi's eye widened. "Guys! Be careful! These spikes are poisoned! Don't step on one!"

The Leaf shinobi nodded and instantly jumped up onto the broken buildings to escape the poisonous spikes. The pirates only smirked up at them.

"Bad move," Rikuto said. He performed the correct seals before he yelled, "Earth Style: Giant Fissure Jutsu!" As soon as he said the words, a large crack in the earth appeared, and it opened up, creating a large gaping hole in the ground. As the earth shook, the already unstable buildings finally collapsed, and the shinobi fell toward the giant hole.

Naruto quickly created a massive bunch of Shadow Clones. The clones instantly grabbed each others' feet to make chains that grabbed the original Naruto and his comrades. The clones quickly pulled everyone to safety just as the hole closed up.

Rather than scowling, the pirates smirked. "Finally, some shinobi worth paying attention to," Rikuto said.

"No, that is not what we were sent to do," Kaito countered. "We must inform the captain of this."

"Yes, Kaito is correct," Tsubame said. She drew another arrow and shot it at the Leaf shinobi.

Kakashi easily caught it in his hand, but then he jumped back in surprise. Paper bomb.

"Guys, take cover!" he yelled as he threw the arrow to the ground. The ninja barely had time to get away when the bomb set off. The explosion echoed through the village, and smoke flooded the area. Every remaining piece of wood was destroyed from the bomb.

Once the smoke cleared, the shinobi emerged from their hiding spots. And the pirates were gone. "What? They disappeared!" Naruto exclaimed angrily.

"And Akamaru can't pick up their scent," Kiba said.

"It looks like the Blue Pirates live up to their name," Kakashi said. "Is everyone alright?"

The group glanced around and nodded their heads. "Okay, we need to find Tsunami and Tazuna…before those pirates decide to return," Kurenai said.

"Right," the teens replied. The group picked themselves up and followed the squad leaders to find Tsunami and Tazuna.

* * *

"Captain, the remaining members of the crew have returned," a man with black hair said as he bowed in front of his captain. The captain was still wearing the famous midnight blue cloak. The two were in a dark room, where the captain had been staring at a map of the world.

"And what did they say, Masaru?" the captain asked, not glancing up from the map.

"Shinobi have arrived," the black-haired man said. "There are eight in total. They bear the symbol of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"The Leaf Village, huh? How were they in combat?" the captain asked.

"The battle did not last long. The team retreated when the ninja proved to be a little formidable," Masaru informed.

"Good…this will give us time to plan," the captain said. "These Leaf shinobi may prove to be helpful. Masaru, tell the crew to keep an eye on Tazuna, but do not engage in battle. I want to be around when the next fight transpires."

"Yes, Captain," Masaru replied. He turned on his heel and left the room to order the crew.

"Hmm," the captain hummed to no one. "Leaf shinobi…it certainly has been a while since I got the chance to battle one…" The captain picked up a kunai and stabbed it into the map, directly on the spot where the Konoha insignia rested.


	3. Two Totally Different Plans

The Leaf ninja finally arrived at the home of Tazuna and Tsunami. Kakashi knocked on the door and waited for a response. Slowly, the door creaked open. The shinobi could just make out a nervous eye peering out at them.

Upon realizing who it was, Tsunami threw the door all the way open. "Oh my gosh, thank goodness you're all here!" the woman burst out into sobs.

"Don't worry, Tsunami. We received your message. We're here to help," Kakashi said. "Where are Tazuna, Inari, and the other villagers? Are they safe?"

"My father was forced by the Blue Pirate captain to build the crew a new ship. Many of the villagers were able to escape the village, but others…" she trailed off.

The Leaf ninja immediately knew what she meant. After seeing all the corpses lying throughout the village, and all that blood…

"But Inari…" Tsunami broke out into sobs again. "They took Inari away. They're holding him hostage until Father finishes the ship. And if he doesn't finish in three days…" She didn't finish, for she was afraid to speak the words.

But the shinobi understood anyway. All of Team Kurenai was shocked at the heartlessness. They didn't know this family, yet they still felt anger towards the pirates for putting them through this pain. Inside, Sai was sad for Tsunami, but he didn't know how to show it. Kakashi and Sakura both were terribly worried for Inari's sake.

Naruto, however, was so angry that everyone could almost see the rage emanating from him. He punched his fist into his hand, hoping to release some of that rage that he felt. Of course, it didn't work, but he did get everyone's attention.

"Those Blue Pirates are going to pay for the pain they put this village through. And then I'm going to make the Blue Tiger of the Mist beg for mercy when I Rasengan his ass into the ocean!" Naruto declared.

Tsunami stared at Naruto in shock, but then she smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you…Naruto."

"Now Tsunami, where exactly is Tazuna right now?" Kurenai asked.

"He's out in the dock building the ship," Tsunami answered. "He can't stop working until sundown, or else the pirates will attack him."

"Then we'll just have to show those pirates who they're up against, won't we?" Naruto said.

"Would you calm down, idiot? We need to make a plan first," Kiba said.

"Kiba's right, Naruto. We can't go charging in, looking for a fight. As of now, they have the upper hand," Kakashi said. "They have at least a thirty-man crew and a hostage to hold against us. We need to think things through."

"Fine," the blonde mumbled unhappily.

"Come on inside, please," Tsunami said through unshed tears. The ninja walked inside the small house and sat down in the living room.

"Okay, we need to discuss what our move will be," Kurenai said.

"Well, our first priority is to make sure Inari is safe," Kakashi said. "We can send a retrieval team onto the ship to obtain Inari."

"With Inari safe, we'll be able to take down the whole ship," Shino said.

"True," Kakashi said. "So when the retrieval team gets Inari, the next step is to take down their ship. Without it, they won't be able to escape, leaving them sitting ducks."

"But that still leaves the issue of numbers. They outnumber us by almost four times," Sakura said.

"As far as I'm concerned, Naruto is his own army," Kakashi said. The blonde boy grinned cheekily at the praise.

"Alright, but there should also be a decoy team to cause a distraction," Kurenai said.

"Right," Kakashi said. "Kiba, you will lead the retrieval team with Akamaru. Hinata and Sakura, you go with him."

"Right," the three teens said. Akamaru barked his response.

"Shino and Sai, use your bugs and paintings to cause a distraction to arouse the crew," Kakashi said.

"Yes," the two boys replied.

"Kurenai, Naruto, and I will begin the attack once Inari is safe. Once you are able to, I want the decoy and retrieval teams to join in the fight as soon as possible. We'll need all the help we can get to take the pirates and their ship down."

"Right," everyone said in reply to Kakashi's plan.

Just then, the front door opened, and in walked Tazuna. He appeared very exhausted and sore. At the sight of the ninja in his living room, he immediately perked up. "Kakashi-sensei! Naruto and Sakura! You're all here! And with reinforcements!"

"Hi, old man Tazuna!" Naruto greeted.

"Hello, Sir," Sakura said happily.

"It's good to see you," Kakashi said.

"We have come to help you take care of the Blue Pirates," Kurenai said.

"Ah, thank you all so much," Tazuna said. "Name's Tazuna. You've obviously met my daughter, Tsunami. How about you all?"

"I am Kurenai Yuhi. This is my team, Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru, Hinata Hyuuga, and Shino Aburame," the kunoichi said.

"I am Sai," the pale teen said.

"Nice to meet y'all. Hold up…where's Sasuke? Is he around?" Tazuna asked.

Team Kakashi instantly grew awkward. "Yeah…about that…" Kakashi started.

"He's not around," Naruto interrupted. "He and I…had a fight. He left the village to cool off. But don't worry; I'm making sure he comes back soon."

Sakura smiled gratefully at her teammate. _"Thank you, Naruto,"_ she thought.

"Oh, that's a shame," Tazuna said.

"Anyway, we came to help as soon as we got the message from Tsunami," Kakashi said. "We heard about Inari…"

Tazuna sighed. "Yes… I have to finish building the ship in three days. Otherwise, Inari won't make it."

"Well don't worry, we're going to take care of the situation," Kurenai reassured. "Kakashi, I think it would be best to strike just as the sun rises."

"Good idea," Kakashi replied. "Alright everyone. Get some rest. We got a big fight coming at us tomorrow."

* * *

"Everyone! The captain wants to hold a meeting!" Masaru called out to the crew, who were all scattered around the ship, talking about nonsense.

"Well, well, aren't you just a cute little messenger boy?" a tall lean man teased as he looked at the black-haired man. He was wearing a green leather sleeveless shirt with matching pants. His messy sandy blonde hair fell in front of his dark blue eyes.

"Make fun all you want, Hayashi," Masaru shot back. He was wearing a red bandana around his forehead and a black T-shirt. "But just remember that my skills are what makes me co-captain."

"Oh please, Masaru," a girl with shoulder-length brown hair said. She was wearing a red tank top that showed off her entire navel and black shorts with black knee-length boots. Her eyes were a soft baby-blue that shined brightly in the now dark sky. "Everyone knows that that title doesn't mean anything. The captain is so dedicated that a second-in-command isn't even necessary."

"You're just saying that because you're jealous, Akira," Masaru grinned.

"Ugh, whatever," the girl named Akira scoffed.

The crew chuckled as they walked inside to the meeting room. The captain was already waiting, sitting at the head of the table. Blue prints of their ship and a map of the world were sitting in the center of the table. Everyone took a seat at the table or stood against the wall since there wasn't enough room around the table.

"Alright, after careful consideration of what needs to be done, I have constructed a three-part plan," the captain said. "The first part is what I call The Capture."

"You want to capture the Leaf shinobi?" a man with white hair asked.

"No, Osamu, that's not what I mean…I want them to capture me," the captain replied.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rikuto exclaimed as he stood up.

"Sit down, Rikuto," the captain's voice calmly said.

The redhead scowled but sat down nonetheless.

"As I was saying, the plan is for the Leaf ninja to arrest me. I have already figured that they will want to strike us to get to the boy. Ninja are very predictable, and I have figured out what their plan will most likely be. They will move at dawn to try and retrieve the boy stealthily. Then they will probably try to destroy the ship, trying to render us immovable. After a very intense battle, I will 'lose' and they will have me captured."

"Captain…I'm sorry, but…I really don't understand what the point of this plan is," a woman with blue-gray hair said. She was wearing a blue skirt and a tight blue tank top. A blue bandana was wrapped around her head, and a large sword was strapped to her back. "You just said that you know what their plan is. We can easily take them all down now."

"Yes, Ayame, it is true that our forces are very strong. There is no doubt in my mind that we can defeat them with ease," the captain said.

"Then why…?" Akira started but didn't finish.

"Konoha is a very powerful village. We have yet to attempt to take them down. Rather than going through the trouble of coming up with a separate plan to attack them, I say we use this opportunity to take them down now."

"How so, Captain?" Hayashi asked.

"Part one of my plan, The Capture, will involve the Leaf shinobi fighting us, and then they will miraculously 'defeat' me. They will take me back to Konoha to be interrogated. That is the gist of part one," the captain explained.

"What about the rest of your plan?" Kaito asked.

"Part two is what I call The Break Down. Once I'm inside the walls of the village, I will stealthily strike at several points of the shinobi forces, thereby weakening the Leaf's overall strength," the captain said.

"Isn't that a little dangerous considering you'll be by yourself?" Masaru asked.

"You don't need to worry about me, Masaru," the captain said with an amused tone. "Granted, it will take time to deliver a blow to all the important forces without being caught. If I am found guilty, I will most likely be executed. But if I stay undetected, they will want to keep me alive to gather information on our raids as well as you all. The Break Down will most likely take a total of a few months, six months maximum," the captain said.

"That still is a long time…" Tsubame said.

"I know, but that is because the attacks will take time to initiate," the captain assured.

"And what is part three, Captain?" Osamu asked.

"Part three is called The Execution," the captain answered. "I will alert you all when I have taken down the major forces. And then you will strike the village from the outside while I take care of any…hindrances. During this phase, we will attack Konoha with all our forces. The village will fall, their riches will be ours, and we will be known as legendary for destroying the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

The crew erupted into a cheer as the captain finished telling the plan. Once again, the captain had proved to be amazing when it came to planning. And initiating them would be no different, for the captain was flawless when it came to executing plans

"Masaru, you will be in charge of the crew while I'm gone," the captain said to the second-in-command. "I'm entrusting you with the ship. Once I give the signal to attack, I am depending on you to lead the crew. Do you understand?"

"I do, Captain. I will not fail you," Masaru said.

"Good," the captain said.

The raven-haired man took the opportunity to smirk at Akira. The brown-haired girl huffed stubbornly, remembering their conversation before they had walked into the meeting room.

"Wait a minute," Rikuto interrupted. "That man who is after you, the one who had wanted to make you apart of his elite collection…isn't he from the Leaf Village?"

"Yes, but he is a rogue ninja, just like some of us here," the captain replied. "The Leaf Village is probably the last place he would look for me."

"But still…that doesn't mean he won't attempt it," Ayame said. "He did attack the Leaf Village a few years back. And he almost won."

"Don't fret about it. While I'm in Konoha, you all will still be sailing the seas, awaiting my signal. He won't know the difference. And by the time Orochimaru actually does find my whereabouts, I will be far, far away from the Leaf Village."


	4. Rematch!  Pirates versus Ninjas!

The next morning, the sun had yet to even peak over the shining horizon that was the ocean. The stars were fading into the dark sky. The blue water swished lightly with the wind.

Swiftly and soundlessly, Shino and Sai crept up towards the ship that belonged to the Blue Pirates. The Midnight Thief, as it was called, sat on top of the water, rocking gently back and forth as the pirates slept. The two Leaf shinobi cautiously walked up to the dark blue ship. After they glanced at each other and nodded in silent agreement, they scaled the ship by sending chakra to their feet. Once they were successfully on the boat, they started their jutsu.

"Ninja Art: Ink Beasts Imitation Jutsu," Sai whispered. Immediately, five lions sprung from the page of his scroll. The ink creatures roared loudly, waking the pirates from their slumber.

Instantly, the thugs and rogues appeared from their sleeping quarters beneath the ship. As soon as they all appeared, Shino sent his Kikaichu bugs to attack. The bugs swarmed toward the pirates, covering some completely until no flesh showed.

As the two shinobi continued to distract the pirates, Kiba, Akamaru, Hinata, and Sakura snuck onto the ship. The battle was huge and crowded, considering there were about twenty pirates versus two shinobi and bugs and ink creatures.

Akamaru led the way toward a door that led into the inside of the ship. Kiba quickly herded the girls inside before any of the pirates could notice them. Once safely inside, Akamaru sniffed his way into another room.

"Hinata, keep an eye open for any enemies," Kiba whispered.

"Right," she replied. She activated her Byakugan, the veins around her eyes showing. She looked around, making sure an opponent didn't appear out of nowhere. Everything seemed safe… for now.

The big white dog sniffed the air for a few more moments before he ran over to a closet. He pawed at the door and whimpered. The teens immediately ran over, and Kiba threw the door open.

Inside was Inari, trapped in a cage. "Inari!" Sakura exclaimed in relief.

"Sakura?" he asked in surprise. He hadn't seen the pinkette in almost three years. He certainly wasn't expecting to see her here now.

"Are you alright, kid?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah," Inari replied.

Hinata used her Gentle Fist technique to break down the bars, and Inari was pulled from the cage. Sakura performed a quick scan to make sure that he wasn't injured. After deciding that he was okay, Kiba and Akamaru led the way out of the room and back out onto the front deck.

If anything, the battle on deck was more intense than when the retrieval team had gone inside to rescue Inari. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Naruto were now fighting alongside Shino and Sai. And the pirates were holding their ground well.

"Sakura, take Inari back to Tsunami and Tazuna. Protect them at all costs," Kiba said to the pinkette. She nodded in response and grabbed Inari before jumping off the boat and heading back toward the little house on the dock. Once Inari was safe, the family and Sakura stood by the dock, watching the battle before them.

* * *

Kiba and Akamaru and Hinata immediately joined the fight. Kiba and Akamaru used their Fang Over Fang technique to attack a bunch of pirates. Hinata used her Gentle Fist technique to try to immobilize a few of the rogues.

But the Blue Pirates lived up to their name. Those who were once shinobi were able to counter the Leaf ninja with their jutsu and attacks. And the other pirates were also talented as well. Each of them had their own special skill that made them formidable opponents.

Shino and Sai were continuing using their jutsu to create protection as well as try to hold the pirates off. It was Kakashi's job to destroy the ship, but as of yet, the boat was still floating. So they had to keep up the fight before the Blue Pirates decided to run off.

Kiba and Hinata were assisting as well. They tried defeating the pirates, but every time one went down, another appeared out of nowhere. And defeating one of the pirates was a difficult task all on its own. For a gang of thugs and rogues, they were pretty well-trained. Whatever their skill was, they truly did excel in it. And their teamwork was impeccable. They worked well together, and the fact that there were almost four times as many pirates than Leaf shinobi didn't really bode well for the ninja.

* * *

Naruto used his Shadow Clone jutsu to create about twenty replicas of himself. His clones ran over to his comrades to help make the battle a little more even. Unfortunately, he was being tailed by a very persistent woman with a sword.

The original Naruto ran along the length of the ship, trying to escape from his predator. A tough-looking woman with a giant scary-looking sword did not seem like a good combination to the blonde ninja.

"Stay still so I can slaughter you!" Ayame screamed as she slashed her sword, only missing the orange-clad ninja by a few millimeters.

"Um…no!" Naruto yelled as he stood a little ways away from her.

Really angered and having little patience, Ayame threw her sword at Naruto. Easily, the blonde ninja jumped out of its reach.

"Ha! You missed!" he yelled triumphantly.

Then he noticed that the woman in front of him was twitching her fingers in a weird way. At first, he didn't understand what was going on. Then it suddenly clicked in his head that he was in trouble. He glanced behind him to see the giant sword swinging back towards him. Ayame was using strings that she had attached to her sword to bring it back to slice him.

Thinking on impulse, Naruto jumped down off the boat and into the water. Ayame caught her sword easily as it swung back into her hand. She ran over to the side of the ship and looked out into the water. There was no sign of Naruto.

* * *

Kurenai attempted to use her Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death genjutsu attack. She disappeared from view, appearing to be invisible. Her opponent was the white-haired Osamu. The man, in his black suit, smirked when he caught on to what was going on. Just as an illusionary tree started to appear from the floor of the ship to wrap around the pirate, he disappeared. The tree disappeared, and Kurenai stood there in confusion.

Suddenly, she felt a knife to her throat. A deep chuckle could be heard from behind her. "Hehe, nice try. But no one sneaks up on me," Osamu said as he pressed the knife closer to her throat, drawing blood.

"How did you…how did you do that?" Kurenai asked, trying to get over her shock.

"I may not be a ninja, but my stealth and speed surpass that of a jounin," Osamu smirked.

Kurenai hissed and jabbed her elbow into Osamu's gut, causing him to stumble backwards. The kunoichi quickly drew her own kunai, and she turned around to face her enemy as the metal clashed. As the two pushed their kunai toward each other, neither wavering, Kurenai failed to notice Tsubame placing an arrow on her bow a distance away. She bit her thumb and placed the resulting blood on the point of the arrow and the bow.

"Secret Technique: Arrow of Entrapment," she whispered. She pulled the arrow back and released.

The black-haired Leaf kunoichi only noticed the arrow coming at her too late. Reflexively, she ducked from Osamu's knife and shielded herself with her arms. The arrow punctured her right arm, but it wasn't as painful as she thought it would be. Kurenai had definitely been through worse.

The red-eyed woman looked up to see the pirate girl, wearing an elegant black shirt with flowing sleeves, smirking at her. At first, Kurenai didn't see what was so funny, considering she was still standing.

Suddenly, her entire body went numb. She couldn't feel her legs, and she crumbled to the ground. Her arms hung loosely at her sides, and her brain started to slow down. Her eyes fought to stay open, but her eyelids began to grow heavy. She looked up to scowl at her attacker. The last thing she saw was Tsubame's long black hair flowing down to almost touch the ground before she fell into a forced sleep.

* * *

On top of the mast, the captain, still wearing the cloak, stood and watched the battle occurring below. Masaru stood at his captain's side. "Masaru, you know what to do," the hooded figure said.

"Right, Captain," the black-haired man said. He closed his emerald green eyes in concentration, focusing enough chakra. Then his eyes shot open as he raised his hands in front of him. "Wind Style: Tornado Disk Jutsu!"

His voice echoed across the ship, and the pirates seemed to stop what they were doing. The Leaf ninja took this as their opportunity to attack their enemies, but the pirates only smiled.

A strong gust of wind picked up around the ship, and simultaneously, the pirates jumped up into the air. As gravity would have it, what goes up must come down. However, instead of landing on the ship, all of them seemed to be…floating on air.

"What the heck?" Kiba yelled as he stared at the floating pirates.

Kakashi then noticed Masaru standing beside the captain. Using his Sharingan, Kakashi realized that the co-captain was performing some type of wind of jutsu.

Masaru brought his hands together in a seal, and the wind that was holding all of his crew members up in the air rose even higher, carrying the pirates with them. The pirates were now suspended high in the air, and they all smirked down at the shinobi.

The captain's voice then sounded across the ship as hands were brought together in a seal. "Water Style: Tsunami Strike!"

* * *

Naruto suddenly burst from the water. His lungs heaved in gulps of air as he took ragged breaths. Once his body got its fill of oxygen, he looked up at the ship. And what he saw really surprised him.

The pirates were floating.

Well that was new.

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows as he stared up at the floating pirates. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Water Style: Tsunami Strike!"

The blonde ninja suddenly felt the water around him start to stir. He looked around, and then he realized that water was rising into a large wave. He was riding the wave, and that wave was going to crash onto the ship.

"WWWAAAHHH!" Naruto yelled as the giant tidal wave came closer to the ship.

The other Leaf shinobi noticed Naruto and the giant wave that he was riding on. Immediately, they all headed towards the side of the ship to jump off.

"Shino! Get Naruto!" Kakashi ordered.

"Right," the hooded ninja said. He used his Kikaichu bugs to fly up and pluck Naruto from the wave before it crashed him into the ship. Once the bugs had a hold of Naruto, Shino jumped off the ship, his bugs following with Naruto in tow.

Kakashi quickly grabbed the unconscious Kurenai. Holding her bridal style, he jumped off the ship to join the other shinobi.

Everyone watched as the tidal wave swept over the ship. With a wave of the hand, the captain, who was still standing on top of the mast, made the wave retreat back into the water so it didn't cause any damage to the ship.

The Leaf shinobi stared wide-eyed at the person in the midnight blue cloak. It was the captain. The Blue Tiger of the Mist. All around, the ninja took in sharp inhales of breath.

Kakashi ran up to Sakura, who was still staring at the captain. "Sakura," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Kurenai needs to be healed," he informed, bring the pinkette back to reality. She nodded at her sensei before he headed back to the others to prepare for a fight. As Sakura kneeled down to heal the older kunoichi, her eyes drifted back to look at the captain.

Then, Sai's words from the day before rung in her head.

~*Anyone who has ever come face to face with him was killed then and there. He can kill with little effort, but since no one has ever actually seen him, they call him the Blue Tiger of the Mist.*~

Sakura took a deep breath to try to calm herself. Hopefully, they would be enough to defeat the Blue Tiger of the Mist…

Masaru gently eased his wind jutsu, careful not to drop anyone. Cautiously, he set the pirates down, allowing them to stand on the ship again. Once everyone was safely down, he jumped from his position beside the captain to join his other crewmates.

The captain of the Blue Pirates stared down at the shinobi, the hood hiding the face of the person who could kill so easily without so much as a hint of hesitation.

In the blink of an eye, the captain jumped from the mast and landed easily on the rail of the ship, balancing with practiced ease. The Leaf shinobi instantly stiffened at the movement. They all moved into their battle stances, ready to strike whenever necessary.

For what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few seconds, no one moved. The Konoha ninja were standing, ready for battle. Masaru and the other pirates were standing on the ship, relaxing. It was now the captain's turn to fight, and the crew had orders not to interfere. Sakura was still healing Kurenai, and Tazuna and his family stood near her for protection as they watched the scene on the water.

Then, as if in slow motion, the captain reached a hand out. The Leaf ninja watched as the Blue Tiger grabbed the cloak that shrouded the face in the shadows. With a flick of the wrist, the cloak was off, revealing…

"The Blue Tiger's a girl?" Naruto yelled out as he stared at the captain in confusion.

"And she's totally hot!" Kiba exclaimed. All of his comrades turned to him, eyebrows raised at his comment. "Oh…did…did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, yes you did," Shino replied.

Kiba hunched his shoulders in embarrassment.

"_What the heck?"_ Sakura thought to herself as she stared at the girl that was the Blue Tiger of the Mist. _"The person who destroyed villages and ships…was this fragile-looking girl? She doesn't even look any older than me!"_

The captain of the Blue Pirates smirked at the reactions of the shinobi. She had received different reactions from all over the world when people found out that she was a sixteen-year-old girl. Yes, she was the Blue Tiger of the Mist.

She wore a white T-shirt with a red camisole underneath. Her pants were black to match her coal black eyes. She was wearing three-inch high-heeled black boots and red gloves that reached all the way up to her elbows. She had an olive complexion that complimented her long blue hair, which reached passed her shoulders.

"Well, I guess we should get this show on the road then, huh?" the captain said, interrupting everyone's thoughts.

"I don't care if you're a girl or a guy or something in between!" Naruto yelled outrageously as he pointed an accusing finger at her. "You've done terrible things, and I'm going to make sure you don't do anything like what you did to this village ever again!"

The blue-haired teenager raised an eyebrow at Naruto and smiled. "Alright, if you want to stop me, then have at it."

Naruto growled ferociously. He brought his hands together into his favorite seal, creating one Shadow Clone. The copy began gathering chakra into the original's right hand. Before Kakashi could stop Naruto, the Rasengan was formed, and the copy launched the real Naruto at the captain.

"Eat this!" the blonde yelled.

The girl smiled as she brought her hands into a single seal, initiating her kekkei genkai. "Hidden Elemental Release: Water Manipulation Jutsu." She raised her left hand at Naruto, and just before his Rasengan could touch her, a pillar of water shot up from the harbor, creating a protective aqua wall in front of its creator. Naruto crashed into the wall, causing him to fall into the water. Then, with a sweep of the arm, the captain controlled the water by creating a wave. And for the second time, Naruto was caught in the wave, hurling towards his comrades.

The Leaf ninja dodged expertly, and Naruto was thrown under the surface from the impact.

Kakashi's eyebrow rose at what he had just watched. Normal elemental attacks didn't work the way that the captain had just used it. _"She must have a bloodline limit,"_ Kakashi thought to himself. _"To be able to control water like that…that's not normal."_

The blue-haired girl jumped off the ship, landing swiftly on top of the water. She ran straight towards the group of shinobi. While running, she performed a variety of hand signs. "Water Style: Aqua Jet Jutsu!" A huge stream of water appeared and headed straight towards the ninja, its movements similar to that of a serpent.

The ninja attempted to dodge, but once the snake-like pillar crashed into the water, huge waves appeared from the impact. The tides rose up, and Hinata was pushed under the surface.

"Hinata!" Kiba yelled. He ran over to the spot where she had disappeared, but the water was so dark that he couldn't see anything underneath its surface.

"Kiba, we have to focus. Hinata will be fine, I'm sure of it," Shino's voice reached Kiba's ears. The dog ninja growled but turned around to face his enemy. Now he was pissed off.

* * *

Meanwhile, underneath the water, Naruto was swimming beneath his comrades, looking for a good place to strike. When he looked up, he could see pairs of feet all over the place. He was guessing which pairs belonged to his comrades and which pair belonged to the Blue Tiger of the Mist.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. He looked out and squinted his eyes against the salty water. An unconscious Hinata was slowly sinking deeper into the water. Quickly, Naruto swam over and grabbed her hand. He pulled her up to his chest and forgot about his plan to land a sneak attack. Carefully holding Hinata's form to his body, Naruto kicked his feet to the surface. He took in a deep breath once his head broke the surface, and Hinata's eyes fluttered.

"Hinata? Can you hear me?" Naruto called out to the girl in his arms.

The brunette opened her eyes all the way, and she nearly fell unconscious again when she realized that she was in Naruto's arms, with him looking at her in concern. "Um…um…"

"Are you alright?" the whiskered boy asked.

"Y-Y-Yes," Hinata stuttered. Her heart nearly stopped when Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried…for her?

"Good, you had me scared for a minute there, Hinata," Naruto grinned.

Hinata almost passed out when he flashed her his famous foxy grin. But somehow, she managed to stay conscious. "Th-Thank you, N-Naruto," she stammered.

"No problem. C'mon, we gotta get you to safety," Naruto said. He quickly swam to the dock with Hinata over to Sakura to have the medic ninja check her over.

* * *

The Blue Tiger ran straight for Kakashi, performing a bunch of hand seals all the while. With his Sharingan, the silver-haired jounin was able to read her movements, and he dodged the pillars of water that were aimed at him.

Shino sent his Kikaichu bugs straight at the captain, hoping to trap her. "Insect Coffin," he muttered as the bugs shot out of his sleeves at her.

The Blue Tiger stood stock still as the bugs headed straight towards her. Then, just before the bugs could touch her, she released the chakra from her feet, and she fell into the water. The bugs, not being able to enter the water, hovered over the spot where their prey had once been.

The blue-haired teen then proceeded to use her Aqua Jet technique again, the water taking the shape of a serpent. The pillar shot out of the water and headed for the shinobi. "Ninja Art: Ink Beasts Imitation Jutsu," Sai said as he quickly drew a bunch of ink lions on his scroll. As he said the words, the creatures sprung to life from the page, and they destroyed the water pillar. However, just as last time, as the pillar dispelled, large waves formed from the crash, destroying the lions.

The captain broke the surface, taking a gulp of air. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw two tunneling cyclones hurling toward her.

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru hurtled straight for the blue-haired pirate.

Grinding her teeth in annoyance, the captain brought her arms up to form an X-shaped shield in front of her. In response, her kekkei genkai brought water up to form an X as a shield. The dog ninja's technique crashed into the water shield, pushing themselves and the Blue Tiger underneath the water. Kiba and Akamaru's jutsu dispelled, but that didn't stop the boy from pushing forward.

The brown-haired boy had a kunai in hand and was about to slash at the girl in front of him. However, she brought up a kunai as well, blocking his strike. The two just floated there in the water, kunai in hand, refusing to back down. Even in the water, their strength was noticeable, and their resolve was heightened.

Kiba wanted to tear this girl apart for hurting Hinata. His teammate was like a little sister to him, and he would do anything to protect her. He refused to allow anyone to hurt her.

The Blue Tiger knew that her plan had been to let the Leaf shinobi win. But she refused to allow any of these kids that were her own age to beat her. She at least wanted to make her loss look realistic.

As Kiba pushed his kunai harder, his chest started constricting. He was losing air. He knew he had to finish this quickly. But the Blue Tiger refused to go down easily, and she noticed when Kiba's throat and chest started squirming for oxygen.

She smirked at him. He may think that he had a chance. His strength was actually quite commendable. But she grew up by the water. She could hold her breath for as long as she needed to, because she knew he wouldn't last any longer.

Being the stubborn guy that he was, Kiba refused to admit defeat. Realizing this, the captain finally decided to end their little match. She brought her hand up, and it looked like she was going to flick her index finger at Kiba's nose. But instead, as she proceeded with the flicking motion, the water pushed up against Kiba's face, throwing him up and out of the water.

"WWWAAAHHH!" he yelled as he flew through the air. He landed back in the water, but he was able to pull himself up so that he was standing on top of the water again. Akamaru came bounding over to him, taking his rightful place by his master's side.

Suddenly, Kakashi had an idea. He turned to his new black-haired student. "Sai, I need you to create a bird, and fly out of here with Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, away from the water."

The boy gave him a questioning look but obliged nevertheless. He quickly drew a bird in his scroll and said, "Ninja Art: Ink Beasts Imitation Jutsu." The ink bird appeared from the page, and the three boys and canine climbed aboard the bird. The creature took off into the sky, hovering over the dock where Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Kurenai, and Tazuna's family were.

After making sure that the others were a safe distance away, Kakashi turned back to his opponent. She had pulled herself up onto the water so she was standing across from him. He quickly performed a few hand seals before he attacked.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!" he yelled. A spiraling column of water was shot at the captain.

She smirked. With a wave of her hand, the water was dispelled, drops of water from the attack going back into the harbor. "You'll have to use something better than that simple technique to beat me," the captain said.

Kakashi glared at the girl. He then charged forward with a kunai in hand. The girl drew her own kunai, and they both clashed knives. They struggled against each other's weight, neither wanting to submit to defeat just yet.

The blue-haired girl brought her right leg up in a roundhouse kick, Kakashi grabbing it with his left hand. She then jumped and kicked at him with her left leg, leaving her suspended in the air. He released the leg that he had been holding and spun out of the way of her second kick. Quickly, he brought his elbow down on her side, pushing her into the water.

She maneuvered herself so that she was facing up towards the surface. She prepared herself to perform another jutsu when the figure standing above her caught her eye. The man she had just been fighting looked like he was holding something in his right hand. She squinted to look at it, and then she gasped when she realized what it was.

"Chidori!" Kakashi bellowed as he gathered the lightning chakra into his hand. He threw his hand into the water, and the blue lightning shocked everything.

"Shit!" the captain hissed under the water. She quickly turned the water around her into ice and created a small shield. The ice shield did little to stop the lightning that pierced her, but it was something.

The lightning was spread for a fifteen meter radius, and everything in that distance was electrified, including the Blue Tiger.

Underneath the water, the captain was smirking. _"Well, that'll have to do for my capture," _she thought to herself. She used a variation of her kekkei genkai to safely knock herself unconscious. _"Hidden Elemental Release: Blood Bending Jutsu,"_ she thought to herself. She waved her hand over her chest, letting the blood slow down just a fraction so that she fell unconscious but didn't suffer any long-lasting damage. She closed her eyes as blackness came over her, and her body slowly floated up to the surface.

From the ship, the Blue Pirates watched their captain's body float to the top. Masaru nodded his head, knowing she had done her part well. The captain's Blood Bending technique was well-known among the crew. That was her trump card. But it was a secret to anyone else. When she used it on herself, she was putting herself in an unconscious state, but when used correctly, she caused no damage to her body.

That's why she was a master at her kekkei genkai. She had full control over everything she did.

"Alright, time to haul out," Masaru said to the crew. The crew members nodded their heads, and the ship moved forward, out of the harbor. The black-haired ninja did his own hand seals and performed a technique. "Wind Style: Hurricane Blast." He blew a strong wind from his mouth toward the ship's sails, and The Midnight Thief sailed away, leaving its captain behind.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going, you cowards?" Naruto yelled at the retreating ship. "Kakashi-sensei, they're getting away!"

The jounin walked over to the blue-haired teen and picked her up from the water. He glanced at the dark blue ship as it sailed away from the horizon. He sighed and walked back to the dock, carrying the captain in his arms.

"Let them go. Our mission was only to get them to leave the Land of Waves," Kakashi said. Naruto's mouth fell open in disappointment. He was about to retort when his teacher continued. "We have their captain, the Blue Tiger of the Mist. We can bring her in for interrogation and hopefully receive some information from her."

"Fine," Naruto muttered in displeasure.

"Sakura, how is Kurenai?" Kakashi asked.

"She still hasn't woken up. I think she must have been forced into an unconscious state. Her limbs and joints are stiff, but there is no other serious injury other than that arrow in her arm," Sakura informed.

"Alright," Kakashi said. "I'll carry her home. We'll have to leave soon, in case the captain wakes up. Shino, you tie her up, and make sure she doesn't get free."

"Right," Shino said. He took the captain in his arms and tied her securely with rope. He let his bugs carry her as they prepared to depart.

* * *

The Konoha teams packed their things quickly under Kakashi's order, and in a few hours, they were all ready to leave. They were standing on the Great Naruto Bridge as they prepared to depart. Tazuna and his family were there to see the shinobi off.

Tazuna walked up to Kakashi. "Kakashi…you and your team have saved us again. I really don't know how to repay you."

"It's no problem," Kakashi said as he hoisted Kurenai onto his back. "Anything to help out an old friend."

"Still…you saved Inari and our village," Tazuna said as he handed the due payment for the mission to Kakashi. "We are forever grateful to you and your village."

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi smiled. He turned to the rest of his team. "Are we ready?"

"Yup," Sakura said as she finished inspecting everyone else to make sure there were no serious injuries.

"Alright, let's hit the road," the jounin said.

The Wave citizens waved goodbye to their heroes as the ninja began to fade in the distance. Naruto was jumping up and down as he waved his goodbye while walking backwards. Sakura hit him in the head for being annoying. Shino only nodded his goodbye and then turned back around to face forward. Sai gave one of his fake smiles as he waved a little salute in departure. Hinata gave a small wave of farewell, and Kiba and Akamaru howled in victory as they retreated in the distance.

As they walked, Kakashi's eyes wandered over to the unconscious form of the Blue Tiger of the Mist. For some reason, he couldn't help but wonder that something wasn't right…


	5. Waking Up In Vegas

**Hi! I'm going to name this chapter after a song, just for fun! The Blue Tiger of the Mist is waking up in Konoha, so...**

**Waking Up In Vegas by Katy Perry**

* * *

The blue-haired teenager's eyes began to flutter. Her senses started to function again, and she became aware of her surroundings. She had yet to open her eyes, but she could feel the atmosphere. She tried to decipher where she was, but she kept her movement to a minimum, trying to pretend that she was still unconscious.

The girl realized that she was sitting in a chair, and her hands were out in front of her. She could feel shackles on her wrists, and her legs were bound to the chair that she was sitting in. Her wrists were chained to a table that was placed in front of her. The air was stagnant, so there were probably no windows. She didn't sense anyone else in the room, so she slowly opened her eyes.

The room was completely made of metal, even the table and chairs. Just as she thought, there were no windows, and a large door was sitting to her right. The girl glanced at her hands. She could move her fingers, but the chains were so tight that they were cutting off the circulation, making it almost painful to try to move her hands.

The Blue Tiger of the Mist smirked. "Well, isn't this a nice way to wake up?" she said to herself sarcastically.

Suddenly, the big metal door was thrown open. The girl didn't even flinch; she merely looked at the doorway out of the corner of her eye. A tall tan man with two scars across his face walked in. He was wearing a black overcoat with the collar high enough to nearly cover his cheeks. His head was covered with a bandana, the Leaf symbol placed on the front. His sharp eyes held nothing but strength and intimidation as he stared at the chained girl.

He walked inside and stood across the table from the girl. Their eyes were studying each other, neither wanting to show any sign of trepidation.

The man sat down in the chair and finally decided to break the silence. "I see that you have finally awoken."

"How very observant of you," the girl replied calmly. She could tell just by looking at this guy that his job was to try and scare her. She wouldn't let herself be afraid of a guy like him. She had taken down guys bigger and scarier than him.

"Are you always this quick to make snarky comments?" the man asked.

"Are you always this ugly?" the blue-haired teen shot back.

Rather than yelling at her, he merely smiled. "You may think that you are a tough little girl. But I'll have you know… there is no getting yourself out of this situation. I don't care how smart they say you are. You're not clever enough to outsmart me."

"First of all, don't call me little. I've taken down shinobi bigger than you," the girl countered. "Second of all, you shouldn't let yourself get too cocky. If I wasn't chained to this chair, you would have been dead the second you walked in."

"But you are chained to that chair, and therefore, you are in no position to threaten me," the man said. Then he smiled in a malicious manner. "However, I do commend you on your bravery. Not many people, let alone teenagers, have the gall to backtalk me. People were accurate when they chose to nickname you the Blue Tiger of the Mist. However, now that you're captured, I don't find it necessary to call you that."

The man reached inside his jacket and pulled out a file. He placed it on the table and opened it, revealing documents and pictures. The largest picture was of the Blue Tiger. The main differences between the picture and the real person were that the photo was of a slightly younger version of her, and she was wearing a forehead protector around her forehead with the insignia of the Village Hidden in the Mist imprinted on it.

That forehead protector was lost somewhere in the ocean now.

"You're not the mighty captain of the Blue Pirates now. You're my prisoner," the man sneered at her. "You're in my domain now, and I have the upper hand. You don't have the privilege of being called the Blue Tiger of the Mist anymore. Now… you are only Kasumi Mayonaka."

The blue-haired girl grimaced. Not at her birth name, but at the fact that this man was trying to use it as a way of intimidating her into submission.

Kasumi lifted her head and smiled at him. "Well, I see that the Konoha ninja certainly are resourceful when it comes to obtaining information. And I may be your prisoner, but come now, let us have a little courtesy, shall we? You already know my name, but I do not know yours. Care to share?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ibiki Morino stared hard at the girl. "To you, that is confidential."

"You're such a stiff," Kasumi said.

The man ignored her and started pulling out documents from her file. "Kasumi Mayonaka…" he said aloud as he read the page in his hand. "Of the Mayonaka clan in the Hidden Mist Village… parents were Suisei and Hanabira Mayonaka… had a little brother named Taiyou…"

Kasumi's face involuntarily twitched when Ibiki started calling off the names of her family. If her hands had been able to move right now, they'd be shaking. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but that stupid man just kept on talking.

"…Became a genin at ten… teammates were Mizuki Tenshi and Izumi Shirotori…"

"And I left my village at the age of twelve, alright?" Kasumi interrupted impatiently.

Ibiki looked over the top of the page to stare fiercely at her. He put the paper down so he could focus his entire glare on her. The girl inwardly sighed in relief when his attention was now on her and not her file.

"Did I say that you could interrupt me?" Ibiki asked.

"Pfft, you sound like a teacher," the girl laughed. "And I don't care what you said. Hearing about my life is unnecessary, considering I've lived through it. I'm pretty sure I don't need to listen to you repeat every single detail of my life."

"Alright, fine. Since you're so anxious, let's get to the real reason why you're sitting here rather than rotting in a prison cell," Ibiki said.

He stood up and walked around the table so he that he was standing behind Kasumi's chair. She held her head high and didn't turn around to look at him. But she kept cautious as she glanced at him from the corners of her eyes.

"Where is your hideout? Where do the Blue Pirates go after a raid?" the interrogator asked.

"Hideout? What do you think we are?" Kasumi asked with a raised eyebrow. "We're pirates. We spend all of our time at sea."

"You have to hide the things you steal somewhere," Ibiki said.

"Nope. There is no hideout," Kasumi answered.

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to."

"You have to leave your ship somewhere when you attack villages."

"It's called a dock," Kasumi answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Then why have there been no sightings of _The Midnight Thief_ when you aren't near it?" Ibiki asked.

"I don't know. Maybe you guys just aren't looking hard enough," the girl lied as she shrugged.

She could tell him that they had a missing-nin who used genjutsu in the crew. He was able to cover the ship when it was unguarded, making it seem invisible to any passerby. But she felt it was unsafe to give this guy too much information.

"Who are the members of the Blue Pirates? Give me names," Ibiki ordered.

"Like hell I'll give you names," Kasumi replied.

"Why do you care about them?" the man asked. "They left you behind when you lost to our shinobi. They took your ship and sailed away without you."

Ah, so he was going to play that card. He was trying to make her feel insignificant to her crew so she wouldn't feel guilty if she decided to sell them out.

Too bad for him that she was an honorable captain. Even if she hadn't been planning to be captured by the Leaf ninja, she still wouldn't sell out her crew.

"Forget it. I'm not telling you anything about my crew," Kasumi said.

"From what I heard, those pirates left you all alone," Ibiki continued. "They left you behind and didn't even look back. If they treat their precious captain like that, then they should mean nothing to you as well."

"From what I remember from my ninja training, that's what normal shinobi do as well," Kasumi replied calmly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the interrogator asked defensively.

"The ninja conduct states that the mission always comes first, even before comrades," the blue-haired girl said. "Don't try to insult my crew by insinuating that they are trash. You shinobi do the same thing all the time. You would leave a dying teammate out in the battlefield if that meant that you could save yourself and your village."

The man with the scars on his face didn't even bother to counter with what she had said. Indeed, she was right. She was an ex-ninja, so she would know about the rules of a shinobi. He turned away from her and continued on with the questioning.

"I want you to tell me where your crew is headed," Ibiki said, changing the subject.

"How should I know where they're going?" the girl retorted.

"You're the captain of the Blue Pirates. There is no doubt in my mind that you have connections with them and know of their whereabouts," Ibiki said.

"If I recall, you just said that I am no longer the captain of the Blue Pirates. Instead, I'm now your prisoner," Kasumi replied smartly.

She could feel her interrogator stiffen behind her. He had been outsmarted. By his own words, no less.

"Still think you have the upper hand?" Kasumi asked innocently.

Ibiki walked back towards his seat, ignoring the superior look she was giving him. He had to fight the urge to choke the girl. She was so annoying, yet it was all apart of her plan. She was trying to wear him down with her little counter remarks. And she was winning. Because so far, she had been able to evade answering any of his questions.

Not looking back at his prisoner, he picked up her file and walked towards the door to leave. When he opened the door, Kasumi saw that there were five ANBU guards standing outside. Her interrogator was whispering something to them, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. The masked ninja all nodded at him, and Ibiki walked down the hall. He had some important matters to discuss with the Fifth Hokage.

The ANBU guards walked inside the room and moved over towards the girl chained to the chair. One of the guards who had a bird-faced mask placed a thick metal band with a red gem in the middle on her upper arm. Then they released her from her chains, and two of the guards grabbed both of her arms. The ANBU then led her out of the room and down the hall, in the opposite direction of where Ibiki had gone.

They dragged her down a series of stairs until they were underground. The walls were made of stone, and several cages were lined along the hallway. The guards led her down a little ways, and Kasumi could see some of the prisoners that were kept down here.

They were nearly dead.

They were all slumped against the walls in exhaustion. Their skin was nearly gray, probably from the lack of fresh air they were getting. Their hair was matted to their faces from sweat; some people had lost their hair from the lack of proper care. They all were unimaginably thin. Their bones were practically protruding from their skin.

The blue-haired teen stared at the prisoners. As she passed one, he lifted his head to look up. The single movement appeared to be excruciatingly difficult and painful. Kasumi's eyes locked with his, and she saw…

Nothing.

There was nothing in his eyes. He was empty, just as all the other prisoners were. They had lived in these cages too long to know what life was. Actually, they didn't even know that they were alive. They didn't feel anything. Their senses were numb, and their minds were blank.

The girl quickly looked away from the man's lifeless eyes. She had seen dead eyes before. She had killed many people and had looked down into the eyes of those that she had murdered. But she had never seen someone so near death. There was a difference between the dead and these prisoners. The dead literally had nothing left. But these prisoners, who were so near death, still subconsciously clung to life. Kasumi could feel it. With each ragged breath they took, they were trying to steal another moment of life.

It was sad, and the teenager couldn't help but feel bad for these people, which was a lot coming from her. She was known as a mysterious being who killed without hesitation and then disappeared from everyone's sights, back into her habitat. She was a tiger…she struck when people least expected it, but she killed them quickly, rather than extending the dying process to unnecessary lengths.

These people were suffering from that. Their deaths were so close, yet, they were stuck living in these terrible conditions.

Kasumi looked up when she heard the clanging of metal. One of the ANBU guards had opened the door to an empty cell. The guards that were holding her arms roughly shoved her inside and slammed the cage door. Without a word, they turned and left her alone with the other prisoners in their own cages.

The girl walked over to the cage door and peeked out from between the bars. The ANBU were gone, and she could hear the slight moaning of the other prisoners. She glanced down at the band that had been placed on her arm.

"What do you do?" she whispered.

She attempted to focus chakra into her hands. Suddenly, the red gem in the band started to glow, and the metal began to burn her flesh. She hissed as she released the chakra and grabbed her arm in pain.

"Chakra bracelet, huh?" she answered her previous question. The metal band was going to burn her skin every time she tried to use chakra. "Well, I guess all I have to do is get rid of you," she said as she looked at the red gem.

She lightly slipped off her right boot and held it so that the three-inch heel was facing towards the gem. Carefully, she jammed the heel so that it was hitting the red rock. Normally, she would have used a kunai, but the Leaf ninja had taken all her weapon pouches. Too bad they didn't know that high heels were pretty dangerous as well.

The first time she struck the gem, the heel did little damage. "You little bugger," she said angrily.

She continued to hit the band with her heel. On the seventh time, she was able to puncture the red gem, revealing a small circuitry within the band. Kasumi carefully reached her fingers into the circuitry and ripped out the wires, rendering the band useless. It shocked her fingers, and she winced at the electricity. But she smiled at her work. With a little chakra focused into her hand, she was able to pull the remaining parts of the band off of her arm.

She slipped her boot back on and smiled down at it. "Whoever invented high heels was a genius."

The air in this prison was dry, making it impossible for Kasumi to draw water from it. So she opted for the next best thing. She slipped her glove off and sliced her palm on the heel of her boot.

"Hidden Elemental Release: Water Manipulation Jutsu…"

Her kekkei genkai made it easy for her to control any form of liquid. Even though it wasn't a lot of blood, it was still enough for her to use. She used the resulting blood from her cut to create a sharp edge that was able to slice through the bars. Two bars were sliced in half. She carefully removed them so as not to make any noise. Thanks to her petite form, she was able to slide through the opening. Glancing back at the cell, she smiled, proud of her work.

"Ah, sometimes I amaze even myself," she whispered.

She slid her glove back on and quickly ran down the hallway, out of the prison, and made her way back into the hallway where she had been questioned. She cautiously made her way down the hall, making sure no one was around.

After turning a few corners, she found herself standing in front of the main information office in the Interrogation Department. This was where all info found from criminals, spies, and captured enemies was held. It was all documented in here.

She quietly slipped inside to be met with bookshelves, cabinets, and desks full of papers and documents. Kasumi grinned at her findings. "Phase Two of my plan starts now."

She brought her hand into a seal, activating her kekkei genkai again. "Hidden Elemental Release: Water Manipulation Jutsu." Slowly, water that she was extracting from the air began to form into a giant sphere behind her. With a flick of her hand, the water swooshed down into the office to flood the room. 

* * *

"What was it you wanted to discuss, Ibiki?" Tsunade asked as she turned her seat around to face the Head of Interrogation.

"It's about the Blue Tiger of the Mist. I just had the chance to question her," the man replied.

The Hokage's eyebrows rose. "Continue."

"I apologize, My Lady… I wasn't able to get any answers from her," Ibiki said shamefully.

Tsunade sighed in disappointment. "I see…"

"However, I did learn something interesting from her file that I think you would like to see," Ibiki said as he handed Kasumi's file to the woman.

The Hokage took the folder and immediately began to flip through it. "It says she was a talented shinobi of a family with a special bloodline limit. They were able to manipulate certain elements based on their chakra type," she read.

"That's not the most interesting bit," Ibiki said. "Skip to page five."

The blonde woman obeyed and flipped to the designated page. She read the information, and her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "This says…"

"Yes. Her parents, brother, and teammates were suddenly killed by someone unknown in the same day. She left the Mist Village a week after their funerals," Ibiki informed. "I saw this page after I left her to be placed in a cell. But when I mentioned the names of her family and comrades during the questioning, she instantly grew anxious."

"Think this has something to do with her being the Blue Tiger of the Mist?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm quite sure that it does," Ibiki said.

"We can use this bit of history to get her to release some more helpful information," the Fifth Hokage said as she placed the file on her desk. She laced her fingers together and stared at the man in front of her. "The Blue Tiger of the Mist…Kasumi Mayonaka…has a lot of secrets that she's hiding, and I want them revealed soon."

"I'll get right on that, Lady Hokage," the Head of Interrogation said as he bowed.

As he turned to leave, a very panicked-looking chuunin barged into the room. "Lady Hokage!"

"Don't you knock, Izumo?" Tsunade snapped impatiently.

"I apologize, milady. But there has been an emergency. The information center in the Interrogation Department has been flooded," Izumo Kamizuki informed.

"Flooded?" Tsunade screamed in astonishment. She stood up so quickly from her chair that it fell backwards, landing on the ground.

"Yes, it was-" Izumo started but the Hokage cut him off.

"I know exactly who it was," Tsunade growled. "I want ten search platoons deployed immediately. The whole village needs to be searched from top to bottom. Turn it upside down if you have to. I want Kasumi Mayonaka apprehended immediately!"

"Um… that… that won't be necessary…" Izumo said as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade asked in confusion.

"She… she didn't run away," Izumo informed. "After she destroyed the office, she sat down and waited for the guards to find her. Literally, she sat down and waited outside the room."

Tsunade stared at him for a full ten seconds before she finally regained herself. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Take me to her." 

* * *

Kasumi found herself sitting in the same metal room she had woken up in earlier that day. This time, the ANBU guards had tied her wrists behind her back with rope and placed a seal on it to prevent her from taking it off. Her legs were not chained to anything this time, so she decided to rest for a bit while she waited for someone to enter the room. She propped her feet up on the table, and placed her head back to stare at the ceiling relaxingly.

The door was thrown open quickly and loudly as it smashed against the wall. The ruckus that was made when the door was opened surprised the blue-haired girl so much that she actually almost snapped her neck when she looked over so rapidly.

Her interrogator from before walked in, but before him, a blonde woman with large breasts was practically stomping inside the room. She took her position across the table from Kasumi and sat down in the other chair. Ibiki stood on her left, and the two Leaf ninja glared at her.

The fact that her feet were still placed leisurely on the table probably didn't bode well for her, but it was so easy to annoy people that Kasumi actually had the nerve to flash a smile at the two. "Hello, there," she said, still grinning.

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face," the woman barked at her.

"Why? It was only to greet you," the girl replied.

"Don't try to act all innocent," the blonde snapped. "You're a criminal, and you will be treated as such."

"Does that mean milk and cookies?" Kasumi asked innocently.

"Shut up," Tsunade snarled.

"Geez, you're more of a stiff than Ugly over there," the girl said as she nodded her head in Ibiki's direction.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll shut that annoying trap of yours and show some respect to the Hokage," Ibiki intervened before Tsunade could throw the table at the prisoner. And the Fifth looked about ready to do just that. Her patience was wearing dangerously thin.

"Ugh, the Leaf Village is full of party poopers," Kasumi sighed. "Alright, to what do I owe the presence of the Fifth Hokage?"

"You broke out of your prison cell and flooded the information center," Tsunade said, as if she was telling Kasumi something she didn't already know.

"Yeah… so?"

"Is that really all you have to say for yourself?" Tsunade asked.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me how you were able to escape from the chakra bracelet and your prison cell," Tsunade said. "It was estimated that you escaped from your cell in the time span of thirty minutes. Including you, less than five people have ever escaped from that prison. And it took them over twenty-four hours to come up with a plan before initiating it. How did you do it?"

"First off, I would say it was actually about nineteen minutes, but hey, who's counting?" Kasumi said. "Second of all, you Leaf ninja are very naïve if you think I'll tell you anything about my abilities."

"I'm not naïve. I'm persuasive," Tsunade said. She lifted her right hand, and using her index finger and thumb, she crunched a corner of the metal table. She then broke it off and held it up in display for the prisoner.

Kasumi raised an eyebrow. "Impressive strength…maybe if you untied my restraints, we could spar."

"That was a pathetic attempt at trying to escape," Tsunade said as she narrowed her eyes at the Blue Tiger.

"Who said I was trying to escape?" Kasumi retorted.

Tsunade then remembered what Izumo had said when he had come to tell her what the prisoner had done to the information office.

~* She… she didn't run away. After she destroyed the office, she sat down and waited for the guards to find her. Literally, she sat down and waited outside the room.*~

Tsunade stared at the teenager sitting across from her. "Why didn't you try to escape? If you were able to escape your prison cell and destroy the information office, why just sit there and wait for someone to find you?"

When Kasumi had been discussing her plan to destroy Konoha with her crew, she had pretty much mapped out how she was going to do it. In order to be able to continue to strike it from the inside, she would have to stay alive and pretend to be a prisoner. She had even decided what she would say to the Hokage should she meet her.

But her speech to the Hokage changed when she saw what was in that prison. It was disgusting to see people like that, and she was a killer. To make her feel that uncomfortable was an accomplishment, and not in a good way. When she saw those prisoners, she decided she would discuss this instead with the Hokage.

"I wanted to talk to you," Kasumi said in answer to Tsunade's question. She removed her legs from the table to look at her directly.

"About what?"

"Do you treat all your prisoners like that?" the blue-haired girl asked. "Those people down there… they were all so close to death. You make them live like that? Because that's disgusting and repulsive, the way you do things."

Tsunade was completely taken by surprise that that was what Kasumi wanted to discuss. She certainly didn't expect to hear that from the Blue Tiger of the Mist. "Hmm… so they were wrong when they said the Blue Tiger of the Mist didn't have a heart," she said with a smirk.

"I don't have a heart," Kasumi clarified. _"Because it was ripped out a long time ago…"_ she added inwardly to herself, but she didn't want to say that out loud.

"Then what gives you the right to talk about our prison system?" Tsunade asked impatiently.

Kasumi glared at the Hokage and the man standing beside her. "I have killed countless people. But I do it quickly and without hesitation. To prolong death is a different form of heartlessness. The way you Leaf ninja do things is ghastly… and you all call me a villain for what I do. Not once have I ever made a person suffer for that long, forcing them to watch themselves slowly wither away until there is nothing left."

Tsunade's eyebrows rose. This girl sitting in front of her… she was so hard to read. She was a merciless powerful pirate captain who was known for destroying everything in her wake. And here she was, preaching to her about how the Leaf prison system was abominable.

The blonde woman inwardly smirked to herself. _"Hidden secrets, indeed…"_ she thought to herself. Tsunade brought her hazel eyes up to stare into Kasumi's coal black ones. "Well, I guess that concludes our questioning for now."

"You're trying to avoid the subject," Kasumi said. "Do you make all your prisoners suffer like that?"

"I don't have to answer to you. And you are not in any position to convince me otherwise," Tsunade said. "Now, to decide on a suitable punishment…"

Both Kasumi and Ibiki stared at her in surprise. "Um…Lady Tsunade…that's it? You don't wish to question her anymore?" Ibiki asked.

"No, there is no need," Tsunade smiled.

"So now what? You gonna execute me for destroying your precious information center?" Kasumi asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

"No, I think I'll keep you alive for a while. Because there will come a time when I will get the information I really want from you," Tsunade said with an evil smile.

"Wow… cocky much?" Kasumi remarked.

"Instead, your punishment will be something new," Tsunade smirked at the blue-haired teen. "It's something I like to call…reformation."

Ibiki glanced at the Hokage uncertainly. This was certainly the first time he had ever heard of this new punishment.

Kasumi wasn't sure if she liked the way that sounded. Her eyebrows rose nervously, and then she furrowed them when she tried to figure out what that could possibly mean. "Reform-what?"

"Aw, did I just say a word that was too complicated for you to understand?" Tsunade asked in a mocking tone.

"I know what reformation means," the teen growled. "What I want to know is what the hell it has to do with me."

"For as long as I feel it is necessary, you will be guarded with a team of Leaf ninja. But instead of staying put in a cell, you'll be allowed to roam freely throughout the village," Tsunade informed.

The pirate captain narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the village leader. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is that these ninja will be teaching you to be a well-behaved young adult. You will not be allowed to go anywhere without the shinobi tailing you. You will do everything they tell you to. Your hobby of causing destruction will be eliminated, and your guards will be training you to be a polite young lady, as opposed to your current bratty and sarcastic behavior. When this punishment is through, you will no longer be a pirate captain. Instead, you will be considered a 'better person'."

Kasumi's mouth fell open. What happened to just locking her up? What the heck was wrong with this place? "What kind of sick village are you running here?"

Tsunade smirked spitefully at her prisoner. "Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

She stood up and headed to the door, Ibiki following. As the two departed, the ANBU guards walked back inside to take the prisoner away into an even more heavily guarded cell.

"Lady Tsunade… are you sure this is a good idea?" Ibiki asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to lock her up in a cell until she breaks like the other prisoners did? Or we could just have Inoichi Yamanaka read her mind. Why go through all this?"

"Kasumi Mayonaka is a very smart girl," Tsunade explained as she walked down the hall. "There is no doubt in my mind that she would be able to escape any cell we put her in or break any seal we place her under. And what she said about our other prisoners was rather interesting…I don't think she would break as easily as they did after what I just heard from her. Plus, she'll have detailed defenses in her mind that would take too long to tear down, I'm sure of it. It will be easier for her to be worn down with the help of other shinobi reforming her."

"Alright, if you say so," Ibiki said uncertainly. "Do you wish for me to gather a group of shinobi to prepare for this new method of punishment?"

"I already have the teams picked out in my head," Tsunade said. "Four specific teams are all that will be required for this mission."

And with that, the Hokage and the Head of Interrogation left the building to proceed with contacting the four teams that would be initiating the reformation.


	6. Reformation Begins Now!

Tsunade was sitting in her office. Shizune was standing at her side, holding her master's pet pig, Tonton. Four different jounin stood before her. It was the morning after Kasumi's interrogation, and now the reformation was going to start today. These jounin were the leaders of the chosen squads for this mission. From Tsunade's left to right, it was Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, and Asuma Sarutobi.

"I have a special mission for you four and your teams," Tsunade said. "Guy and Asuma, I am certain that you two have already heard that the Blue Tiger of the Mist was apprehended in the Land of Waves by Teams Kakashi and Kurenai only two days ago."

"Yes, milady," Asuma stated.

"Yes," Guy said. He glanced over at Kakashi and yelled in his head, _"Darn you, Kakashi! You and your amazing abilities yet you have such a nonchalant attitude! Ugh! I will get you one day, my eternal rival!"_

"Well, we interrogated Kasumi Mayonaka yesterday. Little information was extracted from her," Tsunade said. "After her interrogation, she broke out of her prison cell and flooded the information center. After questioning her a second time, I believe that there is still a chance for Kasumi to change as a person."

Asuma slowly raised his hand, indicating that he had a question.

"You wish to speak, Asuma?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes." Asuma cleared his throat before he continued. "Why do you think the Blue Tiger of the Mist is capable of being changed? She is an S-class criminal. And we usually leave all of our captured criminals in the prison."

"Leaving her in the prison would prove to be pointless and tedious. She escaped her confines in, as she says, nineteen minutes," Tsunade said. She looked at the four jounin, and all of them had their eyebrows raised in surprise. "I believe that even if we maximized security around her, she would still be able to escape. And as for her being able to change, I just believe that it is possible. When I had the chance to speak with her, she showed that there is emotion in there somewhere. Information cannot be taken from her in any other way unless she takes her guards down. To do that, I need others to break her in a different method."

"How do you expect us to do that?" Kurenai asked. She had just been released from the hospital the day before, and she was still rather peeved about being put under a forced sleep by one of the Blue Pirates. In all honesty, she was looking forward to breaking the Blue Tiger of the Mist.

"Everyday, a different team will spend the day with Kasumi, and as far as the other members of your teams are required to know, the mission is to teach her how to be a civil and polite person," Tsunade informed. "The side mission, which you four will mostly perform, is to see if you can gather any stray information that happens to slip out. Anything pertaining to her past or the Blue Pirates is helpful. Understood?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage," the four echoed in unison.

"Good," Tsunade said. She then reached into her draw and pulled out four folders. She held them out for the jounin to take. "Take these. These are copies of Kasumi Mayonaka's profile. It should provide useful information in your mission. In the mean time, I'll place you all in a schedule of when you will be reforming Kasumi. Would anyone like to go today?"

A hand instantly shot into the air, and Tsunade smirked to herself, thinking of how much Kasumi was going to want to kill her.

* * *

Kasumi was so going to kill that woman. This was her second day in this village, and she already wanted to leave. If it weren't for the plan that she had made, she would attempt to leave now. But that would mean that this was a failed mission, and her crew would think she was a failure. She couldn't let that happen. So for now, she was stuck here. This stupid village and their stupid Hokage… it was all just… stupid.

Early in the morning, her ANBU guards had woken her up and prepared her to leave. They placed even heavier and more advanced chakra bracelets on her. There were four in total. One on each arm and one on each ankle; that way, even if she broke one, she still had to take time to destroy the others.

Now she was outside, and she had to meet her reformation team for the day. And she wanted to destroy them.

Two of the four looked like twins, except one was obviously the sensei because he was older. But both had the same bushy eyebrows, the same bowl haircut, and the same green jumpsuits. And they were both smiling at her with their thumbs held up.

"Put those thumbs away before I tear them off your hands," Kasumi growled at the two green freaks.

"Now, now, that is no way to speak to the people who will be your teachers for the day," the sensei said, waving a finger at her as if she was a naughty child.

Kasumi turned her head and looked at the Hokage, who had decided to watch Kasumi's reaction when she found herself placed with Team Guy for the day. She knew it was humiliating, but Kasumi wanted nothing more than to beg the blonde woman to rethink her punishment.

"Can't you just put me in some kind of rehab facility?" the blue-haired teen asked the Hokage.

"No. The punishment I have planned for you will work better than any rehabilitation facility," Tsunade said. "Besides, I think this would be better suited for you. Plus, it'll be more fun to watch how this turns out."

Holy crap, this woman was evil. Which brought Kasumi's previous thoughts about killing her back to the surface.

"Have fun," Tsunade said, walking past the team to go back to her office. When she walked past Guy, she whispered, "If she tries any means of escape or intense combat, apprehend her quickly and bring her back to me."

"Yes, Lady Hokage," Guy replied.

With that, Tsunade marched back to the Hokage building, leaving Team Guy to take care of Kasumi.

Guy turned to the ANBU guards, who were still securing Kasumi, making sure didn't run away. "It's alright. You can leave her now. We'll take care of everything now."

The masked ninja nodded, released the teenager, and disappeared into thin air. Kasumi continued to glare at her reformation team.

"How about we introduce ourselves?" Guy said, still smiling. "My name is Might Guy. You may be the Blue Tiger of the Mist, but I am known as Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey!"

Kasumi sweat-dropped. There was something seriously wrong with this man.

"And I am Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast!" the overzealous mini-Guy yelled enthusiastically. "My name is Rock Lee!"

Kasumi double sweat-dropped. There was something seriously wrong with that man and this kid.

At that moment, the blue-haired teen suddenly remembered that there were two other members of the team. She turned and saw a boy and a girl standing off to the side. Obviously, Kasumi wasn't the only one who thought that the two jumpsuit-wearing weirdoes were born on another planet.

The boy had his head turned to the side, trying to ignore the two and hopefully give off the impression that he wasn't with them. He had long brown hair and pale eyes. He wore a white shirt and white pants.

The girl face-palmed, clearly annoyed to the extreme that her teammates were so strange. She wore a white button-up shirt that had red lining on the cuffs and collar. Her pants were a bright red. Her hair was up in two buns, making her look like a panda, and her eyes were a dark brown. A giant scroll was strapped to her back.

"And you two?" the pirate captain asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

The girl seemed to suddenly remember her mission. She stood up straight and tried to be friendly by waving her hand. "I'm Tenten."

"Neji Hyuuga," the boy replied, not even bothering to look at Kasumi.

The Blue Tiger tried to process what she was going to have to deal with for the day. First off, there were two guys who could be mistaken for father and son only because they had the same exact… everything. There was an overly stoic boy who had a serious attitude problem. And then there was a girl who had to put up with this team everyday.

Kasumi sighed. Other than the brown-haired kunoichi, the blue-haired girl didn't see herself getting along with anyone else on this team. It was going to be a long day.

The pirate captain made a mental note to discuss these things with Tsunade.

* * *

"Now, in order to teach you to be polite, we must first reestablish the ways of the ninja in that blue head of yours," Guy said to Kasumi. Team Guy had dragged the Blue Tiger to a training field. The four Leaf shinobi were surrounding her in a circle while she decided to sit down on the ground, cross-legged.

"I was a ninja, remember? I don't need to go through school again," the blue-haired girl snapped angrily.

"Ah, but school is the best way to learn manners, my new student," Guy smiled, blinding Kasumi's coal eyes with his shining teeth.

"_Great…"_ Kasumi thought sadly to herself. _"Just great…"_

"First, we will go over the ninja handbook," Guy said seriously. "How much do you remember?"

"Ugh," Kasumi moaned. "How about you just quiz me, alright? I really don't feel like going through my brain and telling you every little detail."

She put her hands behind her head and let her body fall backwards so that she was on her back, staring up at the sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen Neji twitch to her left, obviously wanting to make sure she didn't try to escape. Kasumi smirked. The Hyuuga was clearly ready should she try to escape.

"Relax, Hyuuga. I'm not going to escape. Besides, if I wanted to run, I could've done so already. So you can put the scary eyes away," the pirate captain said.

The boy grimaced at her comments, and he refused to listen to her suggestion of releasing his Byakugan. He didn't trust her. Her cool and laid-back performance she had going on right now did not ease his senses, and he cared little about the four chakra bracelets. The bracelets did not prevent taijutsu, and he was willing to bet she could rival Lee, maybe not in speed, but in strength. Neji was not going to take any chances.

"Why should I trust anything that you have to say?" Neji asked, crossing his arms as he stared down at her, trying to seem superior and intimidating. "You are an S-class criminal who shows pleasure in killing and destruction. Do you honestly think that I am stupid enough to give you any leeway?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I just thought you were stupid. Then again, I think a lot of things are stupid, so don't get offended," Kasumi replied.

"Heh, you may have been a feared pirate, but now you are just a prisoner of our village. Nothing you say is worth anything. Therefore, your words are just as worthless as the dirt on my sandals, as are you at this point," Neji said.

Oh no. He did not just go there. He obviously had a death wish. This boy was so dead.

"_No!"_ Kasumi yelled to herself in her head. _"Hold on to yourself. Keep your cool. Do not let an idiotic piece of crap like this kid get the best of you."_

The blue-haired teenager took a deep breath and exhaled. Then she turned lifted herself back into a sitting position and stared back up at the Hyuuga.

"Listen, you are in no position to talk like you are my superior. You may be my 'teacher' for this stupid reformation, but you are not even older than me. I have more experience in reality than you will ever have in your life. And when I say reality, I mean things that you can never even imagine. So you had better shut your face," Kasumi snarled.

"_Reality? What could she mean by all that?"_ Tenten inquired to herself as she continued to watch her teammate and their prisoner continue to argue.

"You are telling me not to act superior? That is a joke. For you to say that is the biggest hypocritical statement in the world. You are the cockiest person to have ever walked the earth," Neji countered. "It is well-known that your success as a pirate captain got to your head a long time ago."

Kasumi's eye involuntarily twitched. She really did not like this kid. "I said to shut that face of yours," the girl replied.

"You really can't back up those words, so you shouldn't make demands," Neji smirked, knowing that he was the victor in their argument.

Before Kasumi could make a futile attempt at a rebuttal, Guy interrupted. "Alright then! How about we get back to our class! What should we start with?"

Kasumi glared her coal eyes as they met with Neji's pale ones. Stubbornly, she turned away to focus her glare on the other jounin. "I don't care. Just pick something." She placed her hands behind her head and laid back down on the grass.

"Well then prepare for the ultimate ninja class! Welcome to Might Guy's Reformation Lesson! Part 1!" the man in the green jumpsuit exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh dear Lord…" Kasumi mumbled.

"Time for the question round!" Guy yelled loudly. He held up one finger. "Number 1! What is the one thing a ninja must always remember when performing a mission?"

"Never let your emotions get in the way."

"That is correct," Guy replied.

"How should a mission be handled?" Lee asked.

"Swiftly and accurately."

"Right!" Lee exclaimed.

"When performing a mission, how does a ninja deal with matters that are not relevant to his or her duties?" Tenten asked.

"A ninja does not deal with things that do not pertain to the mission."

"Correct," Tenten replied.

"What does a ninja choose, teammates or mission?" Neji asked.

Kasumi glanced at the boy she had been arguing with just moments before. If she had been asked that question four years ago, her answer would have been different than what she was about to say at that moment.

"Teammates," she said.

"Technically, that is incorrect," Neji said. "The mission is more important because it can define the ninja's country's fate. A failed mission can result in the destruction of the home country."

"Teamwork is important in a squad. And teammates should look out for each other. However, the handbook states that the mission is more significant because a completed mission provides the village with better status, information, and protection," Guy said in a serious tone.

Kasumi shrugged. "Honestly, that's all a matter of opinion."

The three Leaf teenagers stared at her while Guy, silently considered her judgment. _"Well, her response suggests that she is willing to help her comrades… maybe Tsunade was correct when she said there is emotion somewhere in her. Only more probing will tell in the future…"_

"Are we done now? Can I go?" the blue-haired teen asked hopefully.

"Nope! Now it is time to help you get over your urge to fight and destroy everything!" Guy announced. "Get on up now!"

"Ugh… whatever," Kasumi sighed as she stood up. She crossed her arms and leaned on one leg lazily.

"Now, for this exercise, I want you to restrain yourself as best as you can. No matter what happens, do not fight back," Guy ordered the teen.

Kasumi nodded, not really caring about this exercise at all.

"Now, go my youthful students!" Guy exclaimed excitedly to his three students.

Immediately, Lee jumped up and tried to catch Kasumi in a roundhouse kick. The blue-haired girl easily stepped out of the way. The boy in the green jumpsuit proceeded to throw a variety of punches of kicks in Kasumi's direction. After dodging all of them, she jumped out of reach from Lee.

The Leaf shinobi had to admit; she was pretty good if she was able to dodge all of Lee's moves so far. However, Kasumi was getting a little annoyed. She didn't let anyone attack her with the same ferocity that Lee possessed and let them get away with it. It was honestly killing her to not fight back. She really didn't like just stepping out of the way; she wanted to fight.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kasumi saw Tenten running up to her, wielding a spiked metallic ball on a chain. The brunette flung the weapon at the pirate, but Kasumi jumped away and landed on the branch of a tree. The Leaf kunoichi then proceeded to summon an army of kunai from her scroll. The knives were unleashed on her, and they flew directly at the captain.

Kasumi's hands and fingers twitched. It would be oh so easy to just use a simple taijutsu combo to take down all these stupid Leaf ninja. Oh, how they annoyed the crap out of her.

However, if she was ever going to successfully complete her plans, she would have to go through with this stupid reformation thing. So unfortunately, she had to do everything that freak in the green jumpsuit said.

Instead of unleashing her growing rage on the Leaf ninja, she merely jumped from her perch on the tree branch, away from the kunai headed in her direction. After easily maneuvering away from the knives, Kasumi landed swiftly in the center of the meadow. She stared coldly at the Leaf shinobi. She didn't know how much more she could handle before she lost control of her temper.

Her eyes glanced over at the Hyuuga boy. He was just standing there, with his arms crossed over his chest. While his two teammates were in their battle stances, he was just standing there.

Kasumi quirked an eyebrow. "Hey, Hyuuga! What's the matter? Too prissy to try and get your hands dirty?" Well, the pirate captain might have been annoyed, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up to irk Neji.

The stoic boy merely smirked at the girl. "I think I'd rather just sit and watch you lose this challenge."

"Lose this challenge? You think I can't go a few a minutes without fighting back?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"I think we both know that you are incapable of running away forever," Neji replied.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? It almost seemed as if he was reading into Kasumi's soul. Those eyes didn't see into a person's heart, did they?

Kasumi shook her head to herself. _"Don't lose focus!"_ she yelled to herself. _"You don't have a heart anyway."_

However, as Kasumi was mentally preparing herself, Neji was noticing her slight hesitation. "What's wrong, Mayonaka? Did I upset you?"

"You better shut that trap of yours, Hyuuga," Kasumi threatened through gritted teeth.

"Or what? What will you do? Are you going to use your water techniques on me?" Neji asked innocently. "Oh wait, that's right. You're a prisoner with four chakra bracelets on you. You don't have the ability to use any of your feared powers on me."

"Shut up!" Kasumi screamed, really losing her temper at this point.

"Now you are merely a has-been. The great Blue Tiger of the Mist is no longer the amazing captain. She is only a prisoner of the Leaf Village, waiting for the day of her inevitable execution. Your cockiness doesn't mean anything anymore, and your techniques can't help you now."

Holy crap, this kid was so… done for.

Neji was on a roll at this point and didn't find the need to stop just yet. "Your stubbornness and cockiness are you weaknesses. You may think you are a great pirate captain, but your smugness is what makes you a worthless piece of nothing."

"Oh my god!" Kasumi screamed in outrage.

Without even thinking, she used her speed to charge at the Hyuuga. She flung her right foot at Neji's side, but he quickly dodged out of the way. She was just about to bring the sharp heel of her boot down onto Neji's chest when she suddenly felt a stiff pressure in her back. Her body almost gave out on her, but she summoned enough energy to turn around and glare at her attacker. Guy only stared back at her with hard eyes.

"Damn you," she cursed at him.

* * *

Then the numbness seeped into her joints, and she could no longer hold herself up. She fell to the ground, and she glared up at all the Leaf ninja. Guy leaned down and picked her up in his arms. It was time to talk to Tsunade.

Deep inside a dark cavern, a man walked down the dimly lit hallway. There was no noise anywhere except for the sound of his feet patting against the floor.

As he walked on, a large steel door came into view. The man reached out and pushed it open. Inside the even darker room, a man with long jet-black hair was sitting in a large throne. The man who had entered stepped inside the room and bowed down before his master.

"Lord Orochimaru, I have some interesting news," the man said.

"Hmm, what is it, Kabuto?" the third member of the legendary Sannin asked.

The silver-haired man straightened up, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It is about the Blue Tiger of the Mist."

"Oh? What about our dear friend?" the snake man asked.

"I have heard news that the Blue Pirates were spotted in the Wave Country just a few days ago," Kabuto replied.

"Really?" Orochimaru's smile twisted up in a twisted manner.

"Yes, my Lord. My source tells me that they attacked a village in the Land of Waves about five days ago," Kabuto informed.

"Interesting…" Orochimaru purred to himself. "Kabuto, I want you to head there immediately. Most likely, the Blue Pirates have already evacuated. However, you might be able to find a lead. I want you to track down those pirates and locate Kasumi Mayonaka's whereabouts. Once you do, alert me immediately."

"You wish to be there for Kasumi's capture?" Kabuto asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I think a little reunion would prove to be very productive in my quest to convince the young Mayonaka of joining my forces," Orochimaru hummed, fingering his chin intriguingly.

"As you wish, my Lord," Kabuto nodded his head. He turned to leave and prepare for his journey.

"Oh, and Kabuto," Orochimaru called.

"Yes, my Lord?" the young medic asked, turning to face his master.

"Take Sasuke with you. He needs a good mission to enhance his skills. Besides, should you find the Blue Tiger, the two prodigies would make for a very entertaining battle," Orochimaru smiled evilly.

"As you command," Kabuto said with another bow. Then he turned and exited the room.

* * *

Once again, Kasumi was sitting in that metal room, strapped to the metal table… again. It was really starting to become like a second home to her. She might as well just have a bed in here; she was brought in here so often.

However, that was really the last thing on Kasumi's mind. What she was actually thinking about was the fact that she had… lost. Sure, it was just an exercise to keep her from fighting. But she never lost a challenge, no matter what it was. And what was worse… she had let that Hyuuga boy get to her. That, more than anything, irritated her the most.

"Stupid Hyuuga," she muttered under her breath.

She shifted in her seat, trying to lean back in her chair to look at the ceiling in thought. However, that spot where Guy had hit her still really hurt. That was another thing that annoyed her as well. That Hyuuga had distracted and enraged Kasumi so much that she hadn't even been paying attention to the other three team members, which gave Guy the opportunity to get behind her and strike her back. That was infuriating. Kasumi never let herself go into a blind rage like that.

How was it that one irritating boy could get the best of her? _"When I destroy this village, he's the first one to die!"_ the girl thought to herself angrily.

Just then, the metal door flew open, and in walked the one and only Fifth Hokage. And she didn't look happy.

"Well, well… I heard you tried to attack one of your teachers," Tsunade said as she sat down opposite of the prisoner.

"He was asking for it," Kasumi growled.

"I don't care if he was begging for it!" Tsunade yelled. "You are not to attack anyone of this village! Your punishment was to get rid of your killing intent. You're lucky I'm even allowing you to walk outside these walls!"

"Then put me in a cage! Isn't that what you do to all your other dangerous criminals?" Kasumi countered furiously.

Tsunade took a deep breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose. This girl really loved bringing up stuff about the prison. She looked back up at the prisoner, hazel eyes meeting coal ones. "Your punishment does not pertain to other prisoners. This reformation process is something that I have picked out for you, so I intend to see successful results."

"Whatever… Just don't put me with that Hyuuga brat again," the pirate snarled.

"You don't have a choice. It's an alternating cycle, which means that you will have him again after three more days with three different teams," Tsunade remarked.

Kasumi glared at the leader of the Leaf Village. "You find pleasure in watching me suffer, don't you?"

"I am not obligated to give a direct answer to that question," Tsunade said as she stood up. "But I will say that, as of now, I find your punishment more interesting than gambling."

The blue-haired girl's eyebrows rose at that comment.

The Hokage made her way to the door, prepared to leave. "Tomorrow, I had better not hear of any misbehavior," she warned. Then she exited the room, and in walked four ANBU guards. The masked shinobi unhooked the restraints on Kasumi and proceeded to drag her down toward her cell.

* * *

Kabuto knocked on a wooden door in the middle of a hallway. When no one answered, he walked in anyway. Two red eyes opened to stare at him, their crimson color giving off a deathly feel in the pitch black room.

"I didn't give you permission to enter my room," a cold voice hissed.

"You didn't bother answering the door. And I have something important that I need to discuss with you," Kabuto replied, not caring to be civil toward the other person in the room.

"What do you want?" the person asked.

"First off, how about you mind your manners, Sasuke?" Kabuto lectured. "Don't forget, it is Lord Orochimaru who brought you here. Show some respect to your higher-ups."

"You're not my higher-up. You're just a lackey," Sasuke's bitter voice said.

Kabuto grimaced at the younger boy. Sasuke's attitude had really gotten worse over the years. Shaking his head in exasperation, the silver-haired man decided to change the subject. "Lord Orochimaru is sending me on a mission. And he wishes for you to participate as well."

"I have training," the raven-haired boy said.

"The Lord has issued you to go on this mission," Kabuto said sternly. "It is not your place to negate his decision." The silver-haired man pushed his glasses up his nose roughly as he turned to leave. "We leave tomorrow morning. Prepare your things."

Just as Kabuto neared the doorway, he heard Sasuke's voice call out to him. "What is this mission?"

"We are to retrieve the Blue Tiger of the Mist," Kabuto said, glancing back at the younger boy.

"Who is that?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Orochimaru's first apprentice turned away so that he was facing the doorway. "Someone… who is much like you, and yet, your total opposite." Then Kabuto left the room to prepare for his mission.


	7. Pirates Will Be Pirates

Four ANBU guards dragged Kasumi out of her cell and through the ANBU headquarters. It was now the second day of the Blue Tiger of the Mist's reformation. And she was not looking forward to it. If her team for the day was anything like that wretched Team Guy, then she swore she would involuntarily vomit right then and there.

She was also waiting to continue executing her plans to destroy Konoha. With a team following her around all day, it would be a little more difficult than she had originally planned. But she refused to let that stop her. She had a mission, and she intended to fulfill it.

Kasumi was already planning ahead on how she would attack. She decided to wait a few more days, just to convince the Hokage that she wasn't planning anything. And dealing with her reformation as her punishment would also convince Lady Tsunade that she was being cooperative. Perhaps after a few more reformation cycles, she would start her attacks on the village.

The ANBU guards led Kasumi into the road, where another team of four was waiting. Lady Tsunade was there as well. The blonde woman nodded to the masked guards, and at the command, they all disappeared.

"Are you ready for your reformation today?" Tsunade asked sweetly.

"Sure, whatever," Kasumi replied a bit angrily. She glanced over at her team for the day and quickly made a diagnosis. They were so much better than the team from yesterday.

"Hello. Name's Asuma Sarutobi. I'm going to be your sensei for the day," the bearded jounin said as he pointed his thumb to himself.

"Hi! I'm Ino Yamanaka!" the blonde girl bounced.

"I am Chouji Akimichi," the heavy boy with long brown hair said.

"Shikamaru Nara," the boy with the spiky ponytail said lazily.

"I would introduce myself. But I assume you all already know everything about me," the blue-haired teen said.

Asuma scratched the back of his head nervously at the truth in her words. "Well… That doesn't mean you can't say your name."

The pirate captain rolled her eyes. "Kasumi Mayonaka."

"Good. Now that you all have introduced yourselves, I'll leave you to go do some reforming," Tsunade smiled. She turned on her heel and walked away. She inwardly smirked as she felt the killing intent that was being aimed at her from behind.

Kasumi was trying to burn holes in the Hokage's head, but sadly, it wasn't working out. She slowly turned around to face her new team. "So, what amazingly fun activity do you have planned today?" she asked in a very sarcastic tone as she stared at Asuma.

"Well, from what I have heard, you don't like meeting new people," the bearded man said. "So your reformation activity today is to associate with other people."

Kasumi quirked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard right," Asuma smirked. "We're taking you on a tour of the entire village. And you'll be meeting people the entire time. This will help you to become more of a… people person."

"I don't know what you've heard, but it's not like I don't like meeting new people," Kasumi countered, irritated. "I just don't find the need to meet new people. However, I will admit that I don't enjoy meeting any of you Leaf shinobi," she said, taking the time to glare at each member of Team Asuma.

"Pfft, women are so troublesome," a lazy voice said.

Kasumi instantly whipped around to glare at the source of the voice. It was the one named Shikamaru. The blue-haired girl eyed him suspiciously. He didn't look all too threatening. He just seemed very… sluggish.

"_A ninja who is very lazy…"_ Kasumi calculated in her head. Those types of ninja were the ones you had to watch out for. They were lazy for a variety of reasons.

One, their personality consisted of being sluggish because they were trying to mask their amazing techniques and skills by seeming useless.

Two, they were too scared to participate in battles. So instead, they decided to appear as a waste of time so an enemy wouldn't attack them.

Three, they were too intelligent for their own good. So they pretended to be lazy to hide the amazing brain. Or it could be that they were smart enough that they felt doing any type of work was annoying and tedious.

Whatever the reason was for Shikamaru's laziness, Kasumi decided to keep an eye on him.

"Well, how about we get going then, huh?" Asuma said as he turned and walked off down the road. Kasumi was herded by the three chuunin as they followed the older ninja.

* * *

After three hours of walking through the village, the pirate was about ready to kill someone. Unfortunately, the chakra bracelets on her wrists and ankles prevented her from doing so. And her ninja squad was doing everything they could to keep her from hurting anyone.

In the three hours of walking, the group had only covered about a quarter of the entire village. It wasn't the act of walking that Kasumi was upset about; she was perfectly fine with walking around all day.

It was the fact that Asuma was forcing her to make conversation with every single person who passed by. It was humiliating, annoying, and stupid.

"Ah, here Kasumi. Go talk to that street vendor and make conversation," Asuma ordered.

"I'd really rather not," Kasumi said stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"C'mon, Kasumi! I'll go with you," Ino said in encouragement.

The blue-haired teen raised an eyebrow at the blonde's bubbly personality. "Never mind. I'd rather go by myself."

"Oh, while you're over there…" Chouji interrupted as he reached into his pocket and pulled out some money. He handed the coins over to the pirate captain. "Do you think you could buy me some more barbecue chips? I ran out."

Kasumi accepted the coins and stuffed them into her own pocket. As she turned away from the rotund ninja, she was sure she could hear the other members of Team Asuma snickering at her suspense. She grumbled unintelligible things as she made her way over to a lone street vendor. The marketer was selling all kinds of snacks and beverages.

"Hello, young lady," the man said when he saw the adolescent walk over to him. "How can I help you?"

Kasumi sighed. "Can I have a bag of…" The teen's coal black eyes lingered over all the different bags of chips that the vendor sold. She spotted the barbecue chips, and then her eyes saw a bag of sour cream and onion chips. She cocked her head to the side. "I'll take a bag of sour cream and onion chips."

"Alright," the man said as he handed the bag over to the pirate. She paid the money and prepared to leave with her purchase.

"Have a nice day, young lady," the man called after her.

Kasumi glanced back at him. "Yeah… you too…"

The blue-haired girl was surprised when she had said the words. She hadn't really planned on being nice, but it just slipped out. She shook her head at herself. She would have to pretend to be nice anyway, so it wasn't too bad of a slipup. But she couldn't afford to get too soft.

As she made her way over to the shinobi team, Chouji gained an expectant look. Kasumi held up the bag of chips for him to take. As he grabbed the bag, he frowned.

"I said barbecue chips…" Chouji said dejectedly.

"Sour cream and onion is better," Kasumi said.

"But I like my barbecue chips!" the round boy yelled loudly.

"Well, I was just being considerate," the blue-haired girl shrugged. "I like sour cream and onion; I thought you would like to try them too."

"Well, I don't like sour cream and onion!" Chouji countered in disappointment.

"Have you ever tried it?" the pirate captain asked.

"Well… no…" the brown-haired boy said. "But that's because I like barbecue!"

Kasumi placed her hands on her hips. "Then in that case, I dare you to eat the sour cream and onion chips."

"Excuse me?" Chouji asked in surprise.

"I dare you to eat the sour cream and onion chips," the girl reiterated. "Are you backing down from a challenge, Akimichi?"

"NO! No Akimichi ever backs down from a challenge!" the boy yelled at the top of his lungs.

He tore the bag open and shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. He chomped down with purpose, trying to prove that he was not a coward. But as he swallowed the snack, he realized something.

He liked the chips.

Chouji had never eaten any other flavor of chips except for his standard barbecue. He didn't even realize that there were actually other chips that tasted just as good as his own favorite. Possibly, these tasted even better. He couldn't even fathom how or why his taste buds were starting to become addicted to these new chips, but he didn't really care. Once he had finished the bag, he really wished he had more.

"Hmm, so you do like chips?" Kasumi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… yeah, I do!" Chouji said in excitement.

The blue-haired girl let her eyes look over Chouji and his rather large stomach again before she spoke. "I bet you like to eat a lot of barbecue, don't you, Akimichi?"

"Well, yeah! Barbecue is delicious!" the round boy said, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Would you ever consider eating sour cream and onion dip? Or possibly anything else that was sour cream and onion flavored?" Kasumi asked innocently.

"Uh… well… I guess, I don't know… probably…" Chouji faltered as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Try it sometime. There's another challenge for you, Akimichi," the pirate shrugged as she turned way from the ninja group to walk ahead.

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow at the prisoner before he glanced over at his best friend. Chouji didn't even seem to realize the hidden meaning in Kasumi's words. All the food-loving ninja seemed to care about was that the pirate captain had issued another challenge for him to take. A fierce determination could be seen in Chouji's eyes as he contemplated on when and where he would be tasting sour cream and onion dip.

"_That is such an underhanded way of trying to get Chouji to eat healthy… sneaky, yet clever. And it just might work,"_ Shikamaru observed as he watched the blue-haired girl walk away. _"What is up with her? Does she actually care for other people? Weird…"_

The ninja team continued on, keeping an eye on the prisoner. Occasionally, Asuma would try to force Kasumi into conversation with other villagers, but it never really worked. She didn't mind making comments with the shinobi since they had been following her around all day. She just didn't want to meet random people on the street and talk to them. It was weird and stupid.

After about another hour or so, the team of shinobi and the pirate had traveled around through a lot of the village. And Kasumi was getting really tired of being forced to talk to people.

"Are we done yet?" she complained.

"Stop whining like a little kid and man up already," Asuma said as he continued walking, leaving a very disgruntled pirate to glare daggers at the back of his head.

"_Don't strangle the ninja… don't strangle the ninja…"_ Kasumi chanted in her head.

A sudden idea popped into the jounin's head. "Hmm, we have about an hour to kill. Let's head this way," he said, suddenly changing directions down another road. The other ninja and the pirate followed.

"Asuma-sensei, where are we going?" Ino asked.

"To the Ninja Academy," he replied simply.

"What?" Kasumi asked, surprised as she stopped in her tracks. She stared at Asuma in confusion, and the shinobi all turned to look at her in bewilderment. The pirate captain seemed very uncomfortable and nervous all of a sudden.

"Kasumi, what's wrong?" Ino asked in concern.

"The… Ninja Academy? You mean… with students… with little kids?" Kasumi asked.

"What about them?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

Quickly getting out of her trance, Kasumi shook her head. "You want me to deal with brats?"

"Yeah, it'll help you to associate with people more and to stop calling people brats and other names," Asuma said, crossing his arms.

"Whatever," Kasumi said, rolling her eyes as she followed the shinobi to the Ninja Academy.

Getting to the school only took a few minutes. As the building came into view, children of different ages could be seen in different areas of the yard. Some were practicing with kunai to hit targets. Some were practicing focusing chakra. Some were having one-on-one duals against their fellow classmates.

And all the students looked so excited at the prospect of being a ninja.

Kasumi sighed. Unfortunately, she could remember her ninja days like they were only last week. And that was not what she wanted.

"_Darn it… hanging out with these ninja is making me remember…"_ the pirate thought unhappily to herself.

"Alright, Kasumi," Asuma said, waking the girl from her disgruntled thoughts. "We're going to be helping the instructors teach the students, got it?"

"Whatever," Kasumi mumbled. She grudgingly stalked off to help an instructor teach some kids how to throw shuriken correctly.

"Should we all stand over there with her? You know, to make sure nothing bad happens?" Ino asked as she kept her blue eyes on the prisoner.

"No," Asuma said, shaking her head. "Shikamaru, you keep a close eye on her. But I don't think we'll need to all be hovering over her right now."

"Roger," the boy said as he lazily followed Kasumi over to the children. The rest of Team Asuma split up to assist the teachers in helping the students.

* * *

"Haha! The captain's gonna love us when she comes back from her mission!" Hayashi bellowed happily as he climbed back onto the ship, hauling a large sack of valuables over his shoulder.

"Just hurry up and climb the ship before I kick you onto it," Ayame scolded as she climbed up after her crewmate.

The two made their way onto the ship and dumped the bags of treasures they had been carrying onto the deck. Masaru, as the temporary captain, was sitting patiently on the deck, awaiting the arrival of the rest of the crew.

"How was the haul?" Masaru asked, his arms across his chest nonchalantly as he leaned against the rail of the ship.

"Pretty good, for an island out in the middle of nowhere," Ayame commented.

"Yeah, check it out," Hayashi said, pulling out his sword and slicing open the two sacks to reveal money and jewels.

"Nice," the black-haired male nodded in approval. "How are the others doing?"

"They should all be back soon," Ayame replied.

"Good," Masaru said, looking out over the dock and into the village.

After a few moments, he could see Akira and Osamu running up towards ship. Both were sprinting down the harbor with angry villagers on their tails. But the pirates were empty handed, which made Masaru furrow his eyebrows.

"Looks like the leader of the island was a little more guarded than we assumed," Masaru noticed when he realized the people chasing Akira and Osamu were, indeed, fierce soldiers hired by the lord of the island. "Hayashi, Ayame, lead the rest of this crew and take care of these guards."

"Got it," Ayame said, drawing her large sword that was strapped to her back.

"Sweet," Hayashi smirked, drawing his own sword.

The two swordsmen jumped off the boat, successfully landing on the dock, the remaining members of the Blue Pirates following suit. The pirates broke out into a large battle with the guards, and the chaos seemed to grow on the harbor.

Akira and Osamu had stopped running once the other Blue Pirates had jumped in to fight. The two glanced up at their temporary captain, who was staring back at them. With the index and middle fingers of his right hand, he pointed to the village. The two pirates understood his meaning and quickly maneuvered around the battle on the dock, staying undetected, and ran back into the village to continue their part of the raid.

Masaru sighed as he thought about how he had mistakenly underestimated the island's defenses. He continued to mentally scold himself. As the short-term captain, he was supposed to ensure that the crew handled things diligently and that nothing went wrong.

His plan had been to send Akira and Osamu into the palace to steal any valuables they could get their hands on. Osamu was the fastest, and Akira was the stealthiest, so together, they made for a good thieving pair. Then Ayame and Hayashi were to lead some other pirates to begin the village raid, creating a diversion so the soldiers would leave the palace wide open for assault. Apparently, there was a well-stocked supply of soldiers. Masaru had had to order other members of the crew into the village to distract the guards. It was at that point when the temporary captain had begun to get worried.

When Kasumi was leading the crew, things were flawless. She was a master at everything, it seemed. She seemed to know everything about defense and offense, and she could counter both in such perfect manners that she made her strategies seem easy. But they weren't, and Masaru was worried that he would accidentally do something wrong in absence of Kasumi that would destroy the Blue Pirates. He couldn't let that happened.

Masaru was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the sound of earth crumbling. He looked over the rail of the ship to see Rikuto using his earth-based techniques to destroy the dock. Many of the Blue Pirates were running back onto the ship as Rikuto continued his jutsu.

"Earth Style: Avalanche of Doom!" Rikuto yelled.

The entire dock was broken off from the island, and guards fell into the water. Then large boulders were broken off the earth and hurled at the guards, who were now sitting ducks. The soldiers tried to dodge the hurling rocks, but the boulders would create large waves once they hit the water, and large waves rose up and then fell to drown the men.

Masaru nodded to himself. Things were starting to go as planned now.

Akira and Osamu were now returning, sacks slung over their backs. Some remaining members of the crew were also following. "Wind Style: Tornado Disk," Masaru said as he brought his hands together in a seal. Wind formed into a solid hold, allowing Akira and Osamu and the other pirates to float on the air. The captain carefully brought the pirates onto the ship, letting them stand on the deck.

"Did you see Kaito and Tsubame?" Masaru asked, turning to Osamu and Akira.

"No, we didn't see anyone when we went back to the palace. It was completely empty," Akira said.

Masaru's face grew nervous. "Don't worry," Osamu said, seeing the captain's anxious expression. "I'm sure they're fine."

"Let's hope," Masaru muttered.

He looked out into the water to see any living guards hauling themselves out of the water and onto the mainland. Rikuto was now running across the water and scaling the ship to join the other pirates.

Suddenly, more guards appeared on the edge of the land, catapults and weaponry in tow. The soldiers quickly gathered the weapons to aim them at The Midnight Thief as it rocked slowly in the water.

"Shit," Masaru muttered. It was definitely time to leave, but he didn't like the idea of leaving two crewmates to the mercy of the soldiers.

"Stop!" a female voice yelled out.

The soldiers quickly turned around to see Tsubame and Kaito standing behind them. The guards were going to turn their weapons on them but immediately stopped in their tracks.

Kaito was holding the lord's hands behind his back. The pirate had a sickly purple-greenish glow covering his right hand, and he let it hover over the lord's face. Kaito's Venom Jab technique gave off a sickening odor as the dangerous technique came closer to the royal man's face.

"If anyone makes one move, your royal leader gets it," Kaito growled. "I won't hesitate to poison him right here and now."

The soldiers quickly stood down, lowering their weapons and artillery. The two pirates slowly and cautiously walked passed them. Tsubame had her bow and arrows ready, chakra flowing through her veins for extra power. Kaito did not let his poison die down at all as he held onto the lord tightly.

The two pirates stepped onto the water's surface, sending chakra to their feet. Then they quickly ran onto the ship, dragging the royal leader along. The soldiers quickly raised their weapons at the ship, ready to fire.

However, Rikuto quickly jumped into to block the attacks. "Earth Style: Jagged Earth Blade Crossway!" he yelled. On the mainland, sharp boulders emerged from the ground, creating a wall to block the soldiers and their weapons.

"Wind Style: Hurricane Blast," Masaru said, then he blew wind from his mouth and into the sails to get the momentum going. The ship turned and began to drift away.

"Hey, Masaru, can I do it?" Kaito asked, an uncharacteristic, yet hardly noticeable, plea in his voice.

The black-haired pirate ceased his technique, letting the water and normal wind carry the ship away from the island. He turned to his crewmate to see the purple-greenish chakra still covering Kaito's hand. He was still clutching the leader of the island.

Masaru sighed and turned his head away. Kaito smirked. He quickly punched his hand into the man's chest, directly over his heart. The lord heaved in pain as he bent over in pain. He stumbled backwards for a few steps before he fell to the ground on his back. His now dead eyes looked upward into the light blue sky, but they saw nothing.

"Clean up your mess, Kaito," Masaru ordered as he walked up to the front of the deck.

"Yeah, whatever," the poison ninja said. He hauled the dead body up and dumped it over the side of the ship. He watched with interest as the pale body sank deeper and deeper into the blue depths of water. Once the body was gone, he grew bored, and he turned back to join the crew.

"Alright, judging from these sacks and treasures, we had a good haul," Masaru spoke to the crew. "I'm very proud of you guys, and I know Captain Mayonaka would be to." The crew nodded at his words. "Good job today. We won't be doing any raids for a few days at least. It'll take a while to find a new place. In the meantime, you all can recuperate."

Masaru turned away, letting the others gather the bags of valuables. He walked inside the ship and into his cabin. He sat on his bed and leaned his head against the wall. He wouldn't admit it to his crewmates, even though everyone knew it was true. And everyone felt the same way, anyways.

But he really missed Kasumi.

Not as a captain, as a strategist, or even as an assassin. He just missed her as a person. The entire crew missed her; Masaru could see it in their eyes when he had said her name in his short speech. No matter what people believed about the Blue Tiger of the Mist, she was still a person, and her crew wanted her back.

"I wonder how you're doing, Kasumi…" Masaru wondered out loud.

* * *

School had finally ended for the day, and Team Asuma and Kasumi waited for all the students to leave. Helping with the kids hadn't been that bad… but Kasumi still wanted out of this accursed village. Anything this village dished out against her was intolerable in some way, in Kasumi's eyes at least.

Parents began herding their children out of the courtyard and in the direction of home. The ninja smiled as they watched the little kids run around and tell their moms and dads about all the cool things they had done at school during the day. The pirate captain just leaned against a tree and stared off into space, waiting for her time to be over so she could go to sleep.

"Yuki!" a loud voice yelled, catching Kasumi's attention.

She let her coal eyes wander over to a little redheaded boy who seemed to be about seven years old. He was running over to a blonde girl who seemed to be about twelve years old. She was a ninja, judging from the headband around her forehead. Kasumi presumed she was the boy's older sister.

"Hi, Kyoshi!" the girl said excitedly as she pulled her brother in for a hug.

"I didn't think you were coming," the little boy said.

"I finished my mission early. So come on, tell me about your day. I've been dying to hear about it," the girl said, holding her brother's hand as she led him away from the school and towards home.

Kasumi gasped. A sudden memory hit her like a slap to the face.

~Flashback~

"Oh my gosh, I have to hurry!" a twelve-year-old Kasumi exclaimed as she realized what time it was.

"What's wrong?" Mizuki, Kasumi's best girlfriend in the whole world, asked in worry.

"School's gonna be out in a few minutes! I have time to see Taiyou. I have to see him!" Kasumi said, now jumping up and down in a panic.

"Then go!" Izumi yelled, his brown hair falling into eyes as he pointed in the direction of the school.

"But Satoshi-sensei said we have to wait here while he fills out the mission report!" Kasumi countered.

"Just go! He'll understand. You haven't heard about Taiyou's schooldays in like forever!' Mizuki said as she placed a strand of her white hair behind her ear. "With all of our missions, Satoshi-sensei will understand if you leave for a few minutes."

"But-"

"Kasumi, just go. We'll cover for you," Izumi said.

The blue-haired girl let a small smile grace her lips. "Thanks… you guys are awesome." She quickly hugged her friends before they pushed her away.

"Just go! And give Taiyou a hug for me," Mizuki said, winking her eye at her friend.

"You got it!" Kasumi yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the streets.

Quickly maneuvering through people, she dashed down the streets of the Mist Village. After turning a few corners, she finally reached the building that was the Ninja Academy. Adults were scattered all over, waiting for their children to exit the school. Some kids were running about, excited to be let out of school for the day.

Excusing herself as she gently nudged through the crowd, Kasumi made her way through the crowd of people. Her eyes wandered around in search of her seven-year-old brother. Her coal orbs caught sight of red hair, and she quickly ran over to the person the hair belonged to.

Her brother was about to leave the school to head home. He was used to no one picking him up from school. His parents were the head of the Mayonaka clan, so they were constantly busy. And his sister was always on missions, so he barely saw her until suppertime.

A tap on his shoulder startled the little boy from his thoughts. He turned around to see his older sister standing behind him, smiling sweetly down at him.

"Kasumi!" he yelled in surprise as he quickly jumped up to wrap his arms around her.

She hugged back, squeezing him tightly to her body. "Hi, Taiyou."

"I can't believe you're here! You're never around this early!" the little boy said in excitement.

"We finished our mission early today," Kasumi grinned as she pushed her blue hair out of her eyes. "How was your day at school today?"

"Awesome! Guess what? I learned how to make a clone of myself! Wanna see?" Taiyou asked as he jumped up and down.

"You bet I do! When we get home, you can show me," the kunoichi said to her brother.

"Do you think you could pick me up from school tomorrow too?" Taiyou asked as he looked up into his sister's black eyes.

"I don't know," Kasumi answered honestly. "My missions have been very tough lately. But I'll try to pick you up from school as often as I can."

"Okay! It's a lot more fun to walk home with you than by myself," Taiyou said as he squeezed his sister's hand in his own.

Kasumi felt a pang of guilt and sympathy for her brother. "Yeah, I like walking home with you too, Taiyou."

The rest of the walk home was spent with Taiyou talking about his friends, his teachers, and how the rest of his day went. And Kasumi listened intently the entire way home. Hand in hand, brother and sister walked along the roads of the Mist Village and entered the Mayonaka complex, where their parents were waiting for them.

~End Flashback~

That was the last time Kasumi ever got to walk her brother home.

As the blue-haired teen watched all the children leave with their siblings and parents, she began to hyperventilate. Shikamaru noticed her sudden rapid breathing, and he instantly grew alert.

"Kasumi? Are you alright?" the ninja asked in concern. He looked to see her eyes were filled with emotions that looked like a mixture of sadness and heartbreak. "Kasumi!" he yelled, trying to get her attention.

The pirate turned her head to look at Shikamaru, her eyes suddenly frantic at the return of memories that she did not want. Not knowing what else to do, Shikamaru placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to shake her out of her strange trance.

The shaking brought Kasumi out of her daze. Her eyes fell out of their panicked look. But suddenly, her eyes gained a dangerous look as she pushed Shikamaru away. She quickly ran away, towards the departing families.

Shikamaru instantly grew panicked. He had seen the dangerous glare in her eyes. And she was headed towards the families, which could only mean one thing.

She wanted to kill them.

He quickly fell into a crouch as he brought his hands into the rat seal. "Shadow Imitation Jutsu!" he yelled. His shadow quickly extended and attempted to capture the fleeing pirate. But she was too fast, and his shadow could extend no more.

Luckily, the rest of Team Asuma had heard Shikamaru yell his jutsu, and they quickly sprung into action. Chouji jumped in front of the exit, blocking Kasumi from leaving. She then attempted to go a different way, trying to jump up onto the school building. Asuma followed her, leaping up onto the roof of the school.

Kasumi didn't even realize what she was doing. These memories that were coming back to her were suffocating, and she didn't like the feeling. And the only way she knew how to deal with it was to get rid of whatever was initiating this feeling.

She had to destroy these stupid happy families.

She suddenly heard someone ready to strike her. Kasumi quickly turned around and launched a roundhouse kick at whoever was trying to sneak up on her. Asuma's trench knife met full on with the sharp heel of her boot.

"Fire Style: Ash Product Burning!" Asuma yelled. He took in a deep breath before expelling a thick cloud of burning smoke.

Kasumi quickly jumped out of range of the smog, landing on the ground. She tried to stand up straight, and then she realized that she could no longer move her body.

"Darn it," she hissed.

"Shadow Imitation Jutsu… a success," Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief.

Asuma jumped down from his perch on the roof and landed in front of the pirate captain. "Alright, Kasumi. You can either come quietly, or we can do things the hard way."

The girl glared daggers at the man in front of her. Then she sighed in defeat. These Leaf shinobi were really going to be the death of her.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, please just forget this reformation idea," Ibiki said as he stood beside the Hokage.

The two were standing in the hallway outside of the questioning room. Kasumi was strapped to the chair again, and the Fifth Hokage had been called in to speak to her again. But Ibiki wanted to have his word with the blonde woman before she spoke to the prisoner.

"No, I still believe this is a suitable idea," Tsunade countered as she looked at the man. "This will work, just give it time."

"So far, she has attacked the ninja responsible for her and attempted to attack innocent families," Ibiki said, trying to control his frustration. "If it hadn't been for Guy and Asuma, Kasumi might not have been stopped in time."

"First off, the other ninja on the teams all played a part in apprehending Kasumi when she went crazy," Tsunade snapped. "They are responsible around her, and given enough time, I believe those kids can help her."

Ibiki arched an eyebrow at her. "You really think those teenagers can help reform an S-class pirate captain?"

"Yes," Tsunade replied simply. "I have complete faith in them."

The interrogator sighed doubtfully. "I still say pirates will be pirates. And pirates are criminals, and I believe all criminals should just be locked up to rot in a cell. The only thing they're good for is extracting information to take down other criminals."

"You need to learn to think outside the box, Ibiki," Tsunade said with a smirk, shaking her head at his naivety. "Kasumi Mayonaka is not merely a criminal. She is a lot of things, and I intend on finding out what exactly makes her tick."


	8. Secrets

**Hello, my readers! I'd like to thank my one reviewer, The SuaveBurrito, for reviewing. I had to smile when I read that review, honestly. :)**

**Well, read on and I hope you like it!**

**Secrets by OneRepublic**

* * *

_The Midnight Thief_rocked slowly on the water back and forth. The sun had just risen, signifying the early morning. The blue ocean gleamed with an orange tint from the ascending sun. The dark blue ship drifted silently forward, and its black sails billowed gently with the slight breeze.

The temporary captain emerged from his quarters, walking out to the front of the ship to stand by the center mast. His green eyes settled on the vast waters before him, soaking in its appearance.

It was the fourth day Kasumi had been away, and Masaru couldn't help that annoying feeling rising in his chest. He assumed it was just that emotion that meant he was missing his captain. That's all it really could be, or at least he believed. What else would it be? Kasumi had never attempted a mission on her own, where she actually told her crew to leave her behind.

If anything, maybe he was just nervous for his captain's sake. Masaru had been with Kasumi since the beginning of the Blue Pirates, and he didn't like the thought of her being alone in a village of ninja. Especially since that snake Sannin from Konoha was intent on tracking her down.

The young man instantly shook his head to rid himself of these doubts, his spiky black hair jumping with each movement of his head. His captain was a talented ex-kunoichi and a skilled pirate. She would be able to hold her own against the Konoha ninja until she called for the assistance of her crew. She could handle her mission.

She had to.

"Oi! Captain!" a voice yelled, waking Masaru from his thoughts.

The raven-haired pirate turned at the shout, and he looked up to see Osamu on the higher level of the ship, standing behind the wheel. The white-haired pirate smiled down at his higher-up, and he leaned gently on brown wooden wheel.

"You looked troubled. Something on your mind?" Osamu asked.

Masaru raised a brow. "What would make you think that?"

"Oh nothing," the well-dressed pirate said, a hint of innocent sarcasm in his voice. "You just seem to be staring off into space these last few days. Not too professional if you ask me…"

The captain squinted at the helmsman of the ship in a dangerous manner, but the smirk on his face showed that he was in on the teasing game. "Really? Well, I don't think it's too professional for the ship's helmsman to not be steering. Pay attention to the water, Osamu. Captain's order."

Osamu chuckled, but he nonetheless went back to steering. Masaru ascended the stairs to the second level of the ship to stand beside the white-haired pirate in the black suit. The two young men looked out beyond the ship, merely watching the water drift slowly. The sun was steadily rising in the sky, but the water was still tainted gold from the star's orange and yellow rays.

"Do you ever look at the horizon during sunrise and sunset, and notice how the sky and the ocean can often never be told apart?" Osamu said, breaking the silence.

Masaru glanced at the man beside him out of the corner of his eye. He turned his green eyes back to the horizon, seeing what Osamu had been talking about. The currently golden sky and the equally golden water extended out for who knows how far, and no matter how hard he tried, Masaru couldn't see where either one began or ended.

"And what brought on this little observation, Osamu?" the captain asked, his emerald orbs meeting his comrade's black ones.

The man steering the ship shrugged his shoulders as he turned his eyes back to look at the water. "Well, I've noticed that sometimes, people can be like that. They can be such opposites, like the sky and the water, but when you look closer, you'll find similarities."

The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow. "I find it rather hard to believe that a man at the age of twenty-three can be so wise."

The other male laughed. "Yeah, well, poverty does that to a person…"

"Oh, I see," Masaru smirked. "So where did this classy suit come in from, then, huh?"

Osamu laughed, and then he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "It must be from not knowing how to handle money, I suppose."

Masaru grinned slightly. "Go on and wake the crew. They've been asleep long enough. I'll take the wheel."

The man dressed in a black T-shirt and a red scarf took the wheel from his comrade, and the man in the black suit stepped away. Osamu put his right hand to his forehead in a formal salute, but a smile was spread on his face. "Aye, aye, Cap-i-tan," he said, his voice quiet but his tone containing a hint of humor.

Masaru smiled, shaking his head. Osamu descended the stairs and opened the large door in the middle of the floor of the ship. He climbed down the ladder that led to the hidden parts of the ship, where the crew was sleeping.

As he walked through the dimness of the ship's underbelly, Osamu shook his head at his temporary captain's naivety.

_"You're the sky, Masaru. Kasumi is your ocean."_

* * *

"I think it would be wise for you to get your face out of mine if you know what's good for you, Dog Breath," the blue-haired pirate captain said, her coal eyes squinting dangerously into the brown orbs of the ninja hound owner.

"Make me," Kiba growled. Akamaru stood at his side, large white fangs bared fiercely.

"Kiba, that's enough," a woman with slightly messy black hair said to her student. Her words were directed at the chuunin, but her crimson eyes were fixated on the newest prisoner of Konoha.

The Inuzuka snarled loudly, but he obeyed his teacher and backed away from the girl to stand beside his comrades. His male teammate stood on his right, hands in the pockets of his dark coat, hood pulled up all the way, and goggles covering his eyes. The female teen of the team was on Kiba's left, and she had her arms up in front of her, one hand in a small fist to slightly cover her mouth. Her other hand was clasped to her opposite wrist, slowly rubbing it up and down in nervousness.

Kasumi ignored the other members of the team, only taking the time to glare at Kiba. She straightened her back and braced her shoulders to rectify the stance of authority that she usually wore around her crew.

"Alright, Kasumi," the blonde Hokage said as she stared at the criminal. "Meet your new reformation team for the day. Let's see if you can control your anger today, eh?"

Kasumi's left eye twitched. She had only ever had true anger management issues once she got to the Leaf Village. Actually, they really only started during her first day of reformation, when she was with that blasted Hyuuga boy.

The pirate growled at the memory.

"So anyways," Kurenai said, catching everyone's attention from their own inner thoughts. "Time for introductions. I am the squad leader, Kurenai Yuhi."

"Oh, right! I remember you!" Kasumi said, a sudden bright smile spreading across her face. "The archer of my crew knocked you unconscious with one shot. Ah, I knew you looked familiar!" Kasumi lightly bonked her forehead with her hand, indicating the abrupt return of a memory. However, on the inside, she was smirking evilly.

Kurenai's mouth set into a tight and firm line, her red eyes narrowing dangerously. "Next," she said, turning her head away from the girl who had just insulted her. She looked at her team, silently asking someone to break the awkward silence before she decided to attack the prisoner.

"My name is Shino Aburame," the hooded figure said. He looked at Kasumi through black goggles, and the bottom half of his face was covered by his collar.

Kasumi raised a slender eyebrow as she took in his appearance. "What are you hiding from? A love life? Seriously, what is up with your getup?"

Even though no one could tell, Shino was scowling at the blue-haired offender.

"Hey! Don't talk to my teammate like that!" Kiba snarled, ready to pounce on the captain once more. However, Shino reached a hand out to grasp his comrade's shoulder, preventing him from attacking the prisoner.

"So are you going to tell me your name or what, Dog Breath?" Kasumi asked in an irritated tone. Her hands were on her hips, and her head was cocked to the side as she stared at the dog owner.

His fierce eyes flashed with feral danger. "Kiba Inuzuka," he practically spat out as he glared at her. Then he turned to point at the white beast seated beside him. "And this is my ninja hound, Akamaru."

Kasumi's head tilted to the other side as she chewed on the inside of her mouth in thought. She seemed to be contemplating his name. Then she shook her head. "Nah, I think I'll stick with Dog Breath, it seems to fit you more."

"Why you…" the boy said, a growl rumbling in his throat. Once again, Shino had to place a hand on his shoulder to keep him from striking the girl they were supposed to guard.

"And what about you?" the blue-haired girl said, her black eyes turning to rest on the other female of the team.

"Oh… um… M-My n-n-name is H-Hinata Hyuuga," the indigo-haired girl stuttered nervously. A light tinge of red appeared on her face, afraid of what the pirate captain would say to insult her.

"Hey! What is with the stuttering? I don't tolerate that, it annoys the crap out of me," Kasumi said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in exasperation.

Hinata's lip quivered as she slightly fought back tears. "I… I… u-um…"

"Speak clearly," Kasumi ordered.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Kiba snarled.

He released himself from Shino's grip and charged straight at the S-class criminal. Throwing all thought out of his mind and relying only on instinct, he prepared to fight the pirate with all his strength, for he had insulted a girl who was practically like his baby sister.

Kasumi's arms shot straight up to guard her in an X formation just as Kiba tried to land a punch on her. He pushed all of his strength into his fist, but her arms would not relent their position in front of her.

"Hehe, does this bring back memories, Dog Breath? Remember?" Kasumi asked in her taunting tone of voice. "Back in the Land of Waves, and you thought you stood a chance with me under water…"

Kiba's eyes narrowed in frustration as he brought down his second fist, trying to push against Kasumi's arms. Akamaru's loud barking could be heard close by, but the dog would not jump in until his master commanded it. Kurenai was shouting orders to back down, but the Inuzuka ignored them all. Kiba snarled lowly, pushing all his strength forward. He wouldn't let her humiliate him like she did when they were battling underwater. He couldn't let her.

"And you know what?" Kasumi continued, smirking triumphantly at him. "Even on land, you can't beat me. I could take you down right now…"

Kiba growled, closing his eyes in anger.

"But I like your protective spirit… So I won't even attempt it…"

Kiba's eyes widened in surprise. Kasumi had whispered those last words, and he was sure that he was the only one who had heard them.

The girl's arms suddenly pushed forward, shoving the boy away from her. He looked up at her in surprise, and for a split second, he was sure he saw a genuine smile there. But the moment he blinked and looked back at her, she had that cocky smirk plastered on her face once more.

Kasumi glanced at the Hokage, who looked about ready to blow her top. The girl with blue hair raised her hands up in a surrendering fashion. "Hey, I listened to what you said. I wasn't fighting back; I was merely defending myself…"

Tsunade's light brown eyes glared at the Blue Tiger of the Mist. She pointed an accusing finger at her. "Just watch your mouth, alright?"

Kasumi shrugged. "Honesty is a valuable thing, Lady Hokage."

"And I especially don't want to hear about any sudden homicidal attempts," Tsunade added. The female Sannin's eyes remained narrowed as she turned on her heel and walked up to the squad leader of the team. She spoke in a hushed tone so no one but Kurenai would hear her. "Make sure she doesn't attack any ninja or any civilians. I want a report straight away if she does."

Kurenai nodded. "Right, Lady Hokage."

Red high heels gracefully stomped away as the Hokage proceeded back to her tower. Team Kurenai turned around to stare at the prisoner, and the blue-haired teen crossed her arms over her chest as they all scrutinized her.

"So…" she said, breaking the tense silence as she shrugged. "What fun activity do you have in store for me today?" she asked, not forgetting to insert the mock happiness into her voice.

"Follow us to the training grounds, and we'll show you," Kurenai said, slightly smiling at the younger girl.

The team leader turned and headed off into a random direction, leading her team of chuunin and the pirate towards the meadows and forests that were used for training. The four shinobi surrounded Kasumi as they walked. Kurenai was in front, Hinata was on the left, Shino on the right, and Kiba and Akamaru bringing up the rear.

As the group proceeded through the village, the boy with the red-fanged tattoos on his cheeks stared at the girl with the shining blue hair walking in front of him. What had she meant by his protective spirit?

He was a member of the Inuzuka clan; people of his family name were known to be overly hostile towards others. But once someone was deemed worthy or special, the Inuzuka would stay loyal to them through and through. And that was exactly what Kiba had done; Hinata was like his little sister, and he wouldn't let anyone hurt or insult her.

Kiba was acting on impulse when he had jumped in to attack; he was never fully aware of his protective side… until Kasumi had pointed it out.

Dark brown eyes narrowed in confusion as he stared at the pirate in front of him. _"What is up with this chick?"_

* * *

"I'm betting a golden necklace with a diamond."

"I'll throw in three pure silver chains and add in a ruby and emerald for good measure."

"I'll go classy and throw in 60,000 yen."

Within moments, Rikuto dealt the cards, and he and his two card-playing buddies each held up their five cards so that only each could see their own hand.

"I'm going to whoop you guys so bad," Hayashi snickered victoriously, his spiky dirty blonde hair falling into his blue-green eyes.

"As if," Rikuto smirked. He gently played with the bandages around forehead, securing them tightly around the scar that resided underneath the white cloth.

"You're a terrible liar, Rikuto," Kaito said, shaking his head in disappointment. His dark eyes appeared tired and annoyed. He just wanted the money so he could be done with it.

"Shut your trap, Kaito," the red-haired pirate growled, his green eyes staring dangerously at his comrade.

"Don't even bother, Rikuto. Just play your cards if you're so confident," the other man said. He shook his head in slight irritation, his dark grayish hair swaying only slightly with the combination of his head movement and the wind.

"Sounds like someone is sure of his win," Hayashi smirked.

"Confidence without being able to back it up is a stupid quality, which in retrospect, actually explains a lot about you, Hayashi," Kaito said, his own smirk growing on his face.

The three guys broke into an argument before even laying down their cards. Well, Rikuto and Hayashi were yelling loudly, while Kaito crossed his arms over his chest impatiently, waiting for the other players of the game to calm themselves down.

"Would you guys just shut up and play your stupid game?" a female voice exclaimed over the ruckus on the deck.

The three guys turned around to see Tsubame's extremely long hair shaking viciously as she shook her head in frustration. Her lavender eyes were glaring fiercely at the boys playing poker.

"Seriously, you guys are so annoying," she said, her voice softer but still impatient.

"Aw, Tsubame, don't be so mean," Rikuto said, a small puppy pout appearing on his face.

The woman slightly grimaced as she shook her head. "Forget it. It's not even worth it to deal with you boys."

She turned and walked away, her purple heels lightly clicking on the wooden floor of the ship. Rikuto and Hayashi snickered at Tsubame's display of rage, while Kaito just shook his head, wondering when the game would actually begin.

Tsubame walked over to stand at the rail of the ship, shaking her head all the while. Two other girls were standing beside her once she reached the side of the boat. "Wow, Tsubame. Way to keep that anger management under control," Ayame said sarcastically. She held a thumbs-up just for added effect in her mock approval.

"Boys are just stupid," the raven-haired girl said, her light purple eyes illustrating her obvious annoyance.

"Oh, come on, Tsubame," Akira remarked from said girl's other side. "Guys are just… different. There's no need to get all fussy."

"Akira, you're only fifteen. You still have so much to learn about the oh so wonderful male gender," Tsubame said, rolling her eyes at her own statement as she smiled at the younger girl.

"Hmm, I'd have to agree with Tsubame's sarcasm," Ayame smirked as she adjusted her blue bandana. "Boys are only good for one thing and one thing only." The woman with faded blue hair winked at the brown-haired teenager.

Akira's light blue eyes shifted nervously. "Ayame! I… I don't think…"

The tough-looking female pirate continued on as if the teen hadn't even spoken. "And that thing just so happens to be…"

Akira's face lit up until it was the shade of a tomato. She was an assassin, just like everyone else on the ship. But she was also the youngest on the boat, and when it came to topics like this, she couldn't help but feel like the baby.

"Target practice," Ayame finished, an evil yet happy grin on her face.

Akira blanched at the unexpected answer, and the older girls laughed at her expression. The teen's cheeks tinged red a little in embarrassment, and she began fidgeting with her brown hair as a sign of humiliation.

Ayame laughed loudly, enjoying how easily she was able to torture the poor girl. Normally, the blue-haired woman wouldn't have even bothered getting involved in the conversation. She was known for being the loner of the crew. But she couldn't deny that she enjoyed girl talk with some of the other females of the crew. In a team of thirty pirates, she figured talking to someone at least once would be inevitable anyway.

"Aw, don't you worry about it, Akira," Tsubame smiled. "_That_particular conversation is coming some other time."

"Oh… ah, alright…" Akira blushed again.

The poor adolescent was saved as the temporary captain walked by them. His green eyes glanced over at them before he raised an eyebrow at the sight of them just talking rather than working. "Hey, ladies. This ship doesn't run itself. I need all twenty something of you guys to be working."

"Oi! Captain, do you not see those three lazy excuses over there having a poker game?" Ayame asked in irritation as she pointed to the group of three, who were still having the same argument as before.

Masaru sighed at the display of the poker game. "Do any of you want the privilege of breaking up their game?"

"But you're captain, isn't it your job to do that?" Akira asked, raising an eyebrow in expectance. Ayame and Tsubame nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I just caught two members of the crew making out at the top of the crow's nest. You have no idea how difficult it was to haul that guy off of her," Masaru said, shaking his head at the memory.

The two older girls of the group couldn't help it. They burst out laughing. Whether it be fate or coincidence, the irony was beautiful in their eyes as they remembered their latest conversation of teasing the poor teenage girl. Akira, however, blushed once again at the topic being discussed.

The male of the group furrowed his eyebrows. "Okay…" he said uncertainly. He shook his head to ignore whatever it was the girls were laughing about. "Well anyway, does anyone want the honor of killing their poker game?"

"I got it!" Ayame exclaimed, an excited grin on her face. She reached to grab the hilt of her large blade that was strapped to her back. The sword was tied to her back in a slanted manner, the hilt sticking up over right shoulder. Her right hand grasped it firmly, her happy grin turning into an evil smirk as she made her way over to the table.

Masaru turned back to look at the two remaining girls. "C'mon now, you girls are two of the original nine. Go be good role models for the rest of the crew and start cleaning the ship."

Tsubame raised a slender brow at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Masaru stared at her and took in her elegant wardrobe. Her outfit consisted of a black and purple long-sleeved shirt and black leggings. Purple ribbon and lace seemed to tie the entire outfit together.

Masaru smiled at her. "Alright, Princess, at least whip the rest of the crew into doing something."

The ex-heiress smiled back. "I don't appreciate the nickname, but that, I can definitely do."

She walked off to yell at some of the other lazy members of the crew, leaving Masaru and Akira together. The raven-haired boy shot an expectant look at her. Under his gaze, her baby blue eyes drifted upwards, toward the top of the mast.

He smiled at the small embarrassment she was unintentionally showing. "The crow's nest is now unoccupied."

The girl looked back at him and replaced her uneasy expression with a bright smile. "Okay. Lookout's mine!"

With the grace and agility of a tiger, Akira quickly grabbed a stray rope that was tied to the top of the mast. She easily climbed it halfway before performing a series of somersaults and acrobatic flips to help her get to the top. She settled herself at the top of the ship, overlooking the blue ocean as it extended toward the endless horizon.

Masaru had been watching her performance before his attention was brought back by the sudden sound of wood slicing. He turned his head quickly to see Ayame's Kuresentofangu blade out, in all its shined glory. Jewelry, money, and cards were scattered about deck, and a table sliced in half helped the captain to piece two and two together.

"Ayame! Did you not see we were in the middle of a game?" Rikuto exclaimed, pointing at the place where the table should have been standing but was now a crumpled heap on the floor. "You also realize you could have broken the valuables, don't you?"

Ayame lifted her sword up easily, placing it at the base of Rikuto's throat. "Do you really want to test me, boy?" the girl growled. "The captain wants you to get to work. Now get on with it."

Rikuto's emerald eyes glared into the faded blue eyes of the female. "You really think that huge chunk of blue iron scares me? That tiny piece of tin doesn't compare to my earth-release techniques."

The blue-haired girl smiled a fake happy grin. "Oh, Rikuto… Who said anything about challenging your shinobi techniques?"

The woman pointed her large sword downwards, right below Rikuto's waist. The redheaded male blushed brightly. He took several quick steps back until he was safely standing behind Kaito.

"Uh… c'mon then, boys. You heard the lady. Captain Inoue wants us to get back to work," Rikuto said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

Masaru sighed from a distance as he watched the show. A small smile appeared on his face. There was always one thing about the Blue Pirates that he had enjoyed since the day the original nine were first brought together.

There was a never a dull day.

* * *

The team had arrived in a large field that was often used as Team Kurenai's training grounds. It was a large meadow with plenty of space for using long-range attacks. Just off to the side was a forest that eventually led to a path leading into the main roads of the village. Kasumi and her reformation team stood closer to the trees so that a bit of shade would block out the hot sun.

Kurenai had just finished explaining what Kasumi would be doing as her reformation activity for the day, and the Blue Tiger blanched in response.

"You want me to do what now?" Kasumi asked, squinting her eyes in confusion. She shook her head as if to clear some sort of fog that was blocking her from truly hearing and understanding Kurenai's request. But everyone, including the pirate captain herself, knew that she had heard the elder kunoichi just fine.

"I want you to give everyone on my team a compliment," Kurenai repeated, a small devious smile spreading on her lips.

"And this'll help because…" the prisoner trailed off so that the squad leader could explain the purpose of this exercise.

"Well, judging by how you took it upon yourself to insult everyone from the moment we introduced ourselves, you are obviously incapable of exhibiting kindness," Kurenai explained. "I want you to come up with something nice to say to each member of the team. If all goes well, maybe I'll take you into the village to try it out on strangers."

"Did you happen to hear the report on what happened yesterday?" Kasumi asked, cocking her head to the right side. "Did you not hear how I dislike people to a very high extent?"

The raven-haired woman nodded. "Yes, I heard. The team leader from yesterday informed me of your little… episode… He told me after you were sent back to your cell."

"Team leader… oh gosh, what was his name?" Kasumi said, fingering her chin in thought. "Akuma…? Fukama…? Swami…?"

"Asuma," Kurenai sighed in both exasperation and irritation.

"Oh, right!" Kasumi smiled, snapping her fingers in remembrance. "So… are you two dating or something?"

The kunoichi blushed in surprise at the question. Despite themselves, the rest of the team showed signs of amusement and possible agreement with the question. Kiba was laughing hysterically with Akamaru flashing a big doggy grin. Hinata gave a small smile to her sensei, hoping that the question had a positive answer. Shino, even though he appeared impassive, showed a bit of interest in the conversation.

"What… What would make you think that?" Kurenai spluttered, countering the question with a question of her own.

"Because you basically said you were hanging out with him yesterday," the captain replied, a triumphant smile lining her face. "The fact that you're blushing tells me that I'm right."

"Ah… He's merely a comrade. Nothing more…" Kurenai said sternly, albeit very quietly.

"Whatever you say," Kasumi shrugged. "For what it's worth… you two would make for a very cute couple. Or at least from what I've seen of you both."

Kurenai's red eyes widened in surprise at the statement. Her blush remained on her cheeks, but only because of the praise given from the pirate. The three younger ninja and the hound were just as shocked at the kind statement, the astonishment evident on their faces.

"That's my compliment for you," Kasumi said as she walked passed the instructor to see the next person in line.

Kurenai was a bit taken aback at how abrupt the younger girl had been; but technically, she did give a compliment, and it was actually a nice one at that. She turned around to watch the pirate approach the next person. Shino.

Kasumi crossed her arms as she stared at the hooded ninja in contemplation. She chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "I think… that the mysterious appearance you have going on is actually very cool… It's quite unique, and I kind of like it."

Shino's eyebrows shot right up, appearing over his dark goggles. She had been the first to ever give a positive comment on how he looked. People usually thought it made him invisible… but she said she actually liked it.

Kasumi proceeded on and came up to Kiba and Akamaru. The brown-haired boy tilted his head to the side, waiting for the compliment she would give him. Akamaru looked up, staring at her with patience.

"Underneath all that aggressive behavior, I see a very loyal friend in you," Kasumi said, giving a small smile to the Inuzuka.

He was a little surprised, but he gave her a big grin in return. The blue-haired girl looked down to see Akamaru giving his own big grin, his tongue hanging lazily out of his mouth. Kasumi bent down so that she was eye level with the massive white dog. Her hands came up to rub behind both of his floppy ears, and she grinned at him.

"And you are by far the most handsome pooch I have ever seen!" she exclaimed, still massaging his ears.

Akamaru leaned gratefully into her hands, happy to have a nice ear rub. Unfortunately for him, she pulled away and stood up to move on to the final member of the team.

The Blue Tiger stared into the shy eyes of the Hyuuga. "Are you related to that prick, Neji?" she asked.

Hinata's eyes widened, but she nodded her head. "Y-Yes. He is m-my c-cousin."

Kasumi nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "Well then, I can already tell that you are nothing like him. I can read people, and I see you as a very nice girl with a lot of potential."

Hinata almost cried at that very moment. Kasumi's words were the very ones that she had wanted to hear her entire life. Granted, she had always wanted to hear them from her father; but for a complete stranger to say them to her was a confidence booster in its own magical way.

"Th-Thank y-"

"Okay then!" Kasumi exclaimed excitedly. Her hands came to intertwine behind her blue head, and she fell backwards to lie on the soft green grass. "I finished with the compliments. Am I done? Can I go now?"

The ninja squad stared at her in surprise as she lay on the ground. Each was speechless as they watched the pirate prepare to fall asleep right there, her eyes slowly closing and her breathing growing steadier.

Kiba was the first to regain himself. He shook his head in surprise, and his eyes bore into her relaxed face. "Wait a minute! What the heck was that?"

Kasumi's left eye opened to look up at him. She closed it after staring at him for a few seconds, and she ignored his question completely.

"Were those compliments even true? Or did you make them up just to get it over with?" Kiba asked, his voice rising with each word.

Kasumi sighed, but her eyes still remained closed. "Well, do you want kindness or the truth?"

"So they were lies," Kurenai confirmed with a sigh, shaking her head in astonishment.

"You never said they had to be true in the first place," Kasumi shrugged. She had yet to open her eyes since Kiba had asked his original question.

"Stand up," the raven-haired woman ordered as her crimson eyes glowered at the Blue Tiger of the Mist. "And I want to hear as much truth as you can muster into your compliments this time."

"Seriously? You're going to make me do this again?" the girl groaned.

"Yes," Kurenai replied. "Say something worthwhile, alright?"

"Worthwhile? So you want me to say something that is actually helpful and true?" Kasumi asked in irritation.

"Yes, that would be nice," the kunoichi answered.

The pirate sighed in annoyance. "Fine," she groaned as she stood up.

She walked back to start with Kurenai once again. She raised a slender eyebrow, trying to come up with something to say as she looked the older woman up and down.

"That outfit is a very nice choice…" she said, looking at the red and white short dress.

Kurenai was about to reply with a 'Thank you', when Kasumi interrupted her to continue.

"…for a having a hot date with your boyfriend. However, that is a very inappropriate manner of dressing for a kunoichi," Kasumi said, shaking her head in what appeared to be disappointment.

Everyone's mouth fell open. The red-eyed woman was about to retort, but Kasumi had already moved onto the next person.

"I also like your outfit; it's a great style of choice for camouflage. Congrats to you for picking suitable ninja clothing, unlike your sensei," Kasumi said. "But that outfit is terrible for trying to impress any girl in her right mind. She'll probably walk right on by you; you blend in with that tree so well."

Shino scowled. First, she had said that she liked his outfit. Now she was insulting him. What was wrong with this girl?

Kasumi walked by him, turning to the dog ninja and his hound. "I like your dog," she said, in a positive and happy tone.

Kiba's brow rose at her statement. It wasn't the ideal compliment, but he would take it. "Okay… thanks."

Kasumi tilted her head to the side, and her coal eyes moved downward to look at the large white dog seated beside his master. Then her black eyes looked back up at Kiba. "I was talking to Akamaru."

Despite himself, the Inuzuka's face burned red as he blushed. He was just about to yell out a retort laced with obscene profanities, but Kasumi knelt down so that she was eye level with Akamaru once again.

"Other than that, I have nothing more to say to you, handsome. You really are the best-looking hound I have ever seen," Kasumi continued, completely ignoring the glares she was receiving from the dog's owner.

Akamaru couldn't help but bark loudly in gratitude, his grin wide as his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Of course, he did feel bad for his master, but it wasn't everyday he received such high praise as this.

"Which means, Kiba," Kasumi said as she stood up to face the boy, "that you are a great pet groomer. Congratulations!"

The boy noticeably growled at her, and he looked about ready to pounce.

Kasumi ignored him and moved onto the last member of Team Kurenai. Hinata was cowering as the Blue Tiger stood before her. The blue-haired girl placed her hands on her hips, and her coal eyes hardened as she took in the Hyuuga's shaking form.

"Your timidity is cute, but it's useless," Kasumi said simply and firmly. "With a personality likes yours, you'll barely make any form of progress."

Tears pricked at the corners of Hinata's eyes. Her hands lifted up to her lips to stifle her sobs, and she turned away so no one would see the salty tears stain her pale cheeks. Her knees gave out on her, and she crumpled to the ground in a depressed heap, unable to stop the sobs racking her body.

Kurenai quickly knelt down to sit beside Hinata, attempting to comfort the younger kunoichi. Shino moved to stand over her, an awkward figure hovering over his close friend. Kiba glanced down at the small girl, and he almost leaned down to help console her. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kasumi walking away.

"Hey!" he growled. He grabbed the Blue Tiger's wrist, gripping it firmly so that she wouldn't get away as easily. "Apologize for what you said!"

Kasumi raised a brow at his hand holding onto her wrist. Then her dark eyes flickered to look up at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm not letting you go until you apologize for what you said," Kiba snarled, tightening his grip on the girl's wrist.

"Kiba is right, Kasumi," Kurenai said as she stood up. "The purpose of this exercise was for you to be kind towards others. That was obviously a failure. At this point, the most I can make you do is at least apologize for your actions. Now, get to it."

Kasumi's eyes narrowed severely. "I don't apologize," she said plainly.

"I'm not letting you go until I get something out of you," the Inuzuka said, a rumble in his throat.

With incredible ease and speed, Kasumi's free hand flexed under Kiba's gripping hand, pushing it upwards until it was forced to release her other hand. The boy was too surprised to react quick enough, and before he knew it, Kasumi had leaped into the air, landing swiftly on a nearby tree branch.

"Sounds like a challenge," Kasumi smirked, her gloved hands on her hips. "I like challenges. See if you can catch me. Maybe then you'll find an apology somewhere in me."

Before the shinobi squad even had the chance to blink their eyes, the Blue Tiger of the Mist was gone. The team gawked, only awakening from their trances when Akamaru let loose an echoing bark.

"Spread out!" Kurenai ordered. The chuunin quickly nodded in response, and the team hurriedly separated to search for the now missing prisoner.

* * *

The market streets of the Leaf Village were filled with busy civilians and shinobi, each person quickly moving onto their next destinations. Merchants were selling their items, and in turn, consumers were buying those products. Families huddled together as they tried to make their way out of the busy district of the village.

Yet, through all the madness of shopping that engulfed those few streets, the villagers maintained auras of friendliness. If one person was shoved, the offender would politely apologize. Merchants handed out pieces of candy to small children as they passed by. There was even the classic young person offering to carry the groceries of an elderly woman.

But one aura stood out amongst all the rest. The vibe emitting from this person was pessimistic, negative, angry, and cruel.

Kasumi Mayonaka walked through these busy streets calmly. Her shoulders were braced, her back was straight, and her black eyes were relaxed. A small but devious smile appeared on her face.

_"Ah, torturing others is so much fun,"_she said in her head, her mischievous smile even appearing in her mind.

Her black heeled boots easily dug into the dirt road as she made her way through the crowded streets. The mob of people walked around, not even realizing that she was the infamous Blue Tiger of the Mist.

Kasumi couldn't help but notice the bliss ignorance of the civilians. _"Humph, how lucky they all must be to feel so safe…"_she thought gruffly, her happy and devious mood dropping slightly. She shook her head in disappointment at the oblivious residents of the village.

The blue-haired teen realized just how crowded the streets were beginning to become as she continued deeper down the market streets. She quickly removed herself as she came to the closest intersection, allowing her to walk down a seemingly emptier road.

She let out a breath, relishing in the freer air. Her coal eyes glanced around, taking in the village and its citizens. Her feet led her down random intersections and turns, but her mind wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She was too lost in thought to care as she stared at the homes, the shops, the trees, the park… everything that made the Leaf Village what it was.

Even the various citizens walking about were no longer bothering her. She felt the slowly familiar yet unwelcome tug at her heart whenever she saw a sweet family, but she did not show any sign of ill-comfort.

After her previous episodes of losing control of her anger during the preceding two days, she had given herself a mental scolding. She was on a mission, and it was not okay to repeatedly lose her control.

Kasumi still planned to fulfill her self-given assignment, and in order to finish it, she needed to be alive. The pirate captain knew that she was honestly lucky to have not injured or killed anyone during her stay here. If she had, she would have been put to execution, completely jeopardizing the entire plan.

There would be plenty of spilled blood when her crew arrived after she sent the signal. She would make sure of that.

But that annoying feeling of nostalgia was gnawing at her; she could feel it. It kept coming whenever she watched a pair or group of people enjoying each other's company. She wanted to believe that it was because she missed her crew, as she tried to repeatedly convince herself that they were her new family.

But deep down, she knew that nostalgic feeling was because of those hidden memories buried in her mind.

She shook her head to clear her mind of those troublesome reflections. Kasumi's train of thought halted, and then she reversed to go back to an earlier thought. Then she laughed out loud, resulting in a few passing villagers cocking their eyebrows at her in bewilderment. They merely shook their heads, attempting to forget what they just noticed and continue on their way.

The thought that had Kasumi laughing was that moments ago, she had just been thinking of how going on a murderous rage would get her a definite execution. However, she had just imagined the Hokage's face when she found that the Blue Tiger of the Mist had escaped from her reformation team.

_"Ha! Well, Tsunade never said anything about running away. She only said not to attack anyone,"_ Kasumi shrugged nonchalantly. A sudden presence alerted the notorious pirate, and her head raised a fraction in acknowledgement. _"Well, it seems she found me…"_

"St-Stop!" a voice yelled from behind the blue-haired teen, the exclaim sounding more like a frightened squeal than a confident command.

Kasumi turned around to see the Hyuuga heiress standing only thirty feet away. A confused expression spread across the pirate's face. "What did you say? I couldn't understand you."

Hinata choked in surprise and hurt. "I-I said t-to st-stop!"

The pirate lifted her hand to ear, her index finger touching her earlobe. "I still can't comprehend."

"W-Would you j-just please…" Hinata stuttered, her resolve shattering quickly.

"Eh? I can't hear what you're saying," Kasumi interrupted, her voice steadily growing louder as Hinata's grew lower.

The indigo-haired girl's head slumped sadly. She had never felt more inferior in her life than at that moment.

Her father always criticized her for her slow progress, completely breaking and crushing any self-confidence she had. Yet, she still trained and trained, hoping to get better. And she truly thought she had improved, especially these last few years. She had worked harder than ever when Naruto had left, hoping to be a girl that he would notice when he returned.

He still sometimes didn't even notice her strength, and Hinata was worried that perhaps she really hadn't improved as much as she thought she did. Sometimes, she thought that maybe her team was feeding her false hope.

Now, she was almost certain that she was as useless as ever. This girl in front of her, no matter how evil and dangerous she was considered, was still a renowned pirate with amazing shinobi talents. And Hinata herself had experienced it firsthand; she had seen Kasumi's incredible fighting style in the Land of Waves.

To have such a strong ex-kunoichi indirectly rub it in her face how weak she was felt like the final blow to her self-esteem.

The Hyuuga fell to the ground, her knees giving out on her. Her pale eyes filled with crystal tears. She knew it was humiliating, and she knew it was disgraceful. But Hinata truly could not stop the hurt growing inside her heart at that moment.

_"Stand up… C'mon, pick yourself up…"_Kasumi mentally yelled at the girl crumpled in the middle of the dirt road.

After moments of staring at her, the prisoner shook her head in disappointment, her bright blue hair swaying with each movement. She turned away, prepared to leave and continue her short tour of the village…

When a voice stopped her.

"Stop," Hinata said through her tears.

She forced herself to stand up and lift her head with dignity. There was no more point in crying. Sobbing was useless, and Hinata was tired of letting people think of her as inferior. It was now or never, and she would prove that she was strong. Even if the Blue Tiger of the Mist didn't care to acknowledge her sudden resolve, at least Hinata herself would know that she had improved.

Kasumi stopped in her tracks. Though she did not turn around, the missing-nin hung on each word the Hyuuga had to say.

"Under order of the Fifth Hokage, I must apprehend you. So I am ordering you to stop," Hinata said loudly.

Her white eyes burned with fire, and her voice was confident with pride. Her body stood tall, and her head was held high. She quickly slipped into her battle stance, as Kasumi still had not turned around to look at her.

"I will not hesitate to fight if I need to do so," Hinata continued, her Byakugan activating. The veins around her eyes became pronounced, and her pale eyes changed from their innocent appearance to the fierce determined look that was known of the Hyuuga clan.

Kasumi finally turned around, her blue hair swishing lightly. Her coal eyes hardened as she stared at the girl before her. Intimidation poured off of her in waves as the criminal slowly walked toward the Leaf kunoichi. Hinata silently gulped as she watched the S-class missing-nin approach her.

It was only seconds before the pirate was standing before the Hyuuga heiress. Kasumi stood high and tall compared to her opponent, as Hinata was crouched in her battle position. The blue-haired teen had her hands dug into her hips, and then she reached one hand out towards the ninja.

Hinata's eyes widened before flashing back to determination. She was about to use her Gentle Fist technique to push the pirate backwards and away from her. But the Hyuuga didn't even get the chance to do so.

Or rather, Hinata was just about to strike when she froze in her place in shock.

Unexpectedly, Kasumi's hand landed on the other girl's shoulder. Hinata would have taken it as a threat, but the expression on the other girl's face proved to be the opposite. In fact, the expression on Kasumi's face seemed almost… reassuring.

The infamous Blue Tiger of the Mist was smiling sincerely down at her, and the genuineness of the smile was enough to make Hinata subconsciously release her battle stance.

"I knew you had it in you," Kasumi whispered, her black eyes appearing to be just a bit brighter than normal. "Nice job."

Hinata felt her heart relax a great deal, almost as if a huge weight had been lifted. Her body released the tension that had built up during the prospect of battle, and a grateful smile appeared on her face.

_"I… Thank you… Kasumi…"_

A small distance away, Kurenai stood on the top of a roof, watching the scene before her. She could barely make out what was being said, but she could assume enough from just witnessing the events that occurred.

She furrowed her eyebrows in bewilderment. "Who are you… Kasumi Mayonaka?"

* * *

An hour later, Kasumi was, unsurprisingly, seated in the large metal interrogation room. And of course, the Hokage was seated across from her. Even less surprising, Tsunade was furious.

"What is wrong with you?" Tsunade growled, breaking the heavy silence between the pair.

Kasumi chuckled. "I tend to get that a lot."

"Tell me, Kasumi," the blonde woman said as she rubbed her temples. "What compelled you to run away? You knew you would only get in trouble."

"Well technically, your specific orders were to not hurt anyone. And I didn't, mission accomplished," Kasumi grinned.

"I'm starting to get really fed up with your attitude," the Hokage said firmly.

"I'm starting to get really fed up with these reformation teams," Kasumi countered. "We all have those things that annoy us. But no pain, no gain, Lady Tsunade."

"I am normally not the woman you want to be messing with, Kasumi" the Sannin said, though it sounded more like a snarl.

"Even with me as the Leaf Village's prisoner, I know that people are still saying that about me," the girl with blue hair smiled deviously and cockily.

"Your mouth is really pushing your luck, and your arrogant behavior will get you a death sentence," the blonde busty woman said.

"But…" the pirate said expectantly.

"But what?" Tsunade asked exasperatedly.

"Well, there's always a 'but'," Kasumi shrugged with a small smile. "So…"

The blonde woman glared at the younger girl before her. It took everything she had to not punch the metal table that separated the two. She mentally soothed herself. The thought of a nice bottle of sake waiting for her back in her office when she was done was enough to calm herself.

"Well… I would say three strikes and you're out," Tsunade said, turning her hazel eyes back to the chained girl. "You should count yourself lucky that I even allowed you such a nice punishment. All of my advisors are still persuading me to just throw you in a jail cell. And I am certainly considering it at this point."

"But…" Kasumi repeated, wanting to hear more of Tsunade's little tirade.

The woman glared. "_However,_there is still one more reformation team left. So before I make any permanent decisions, I'd like for you to spend your fourth day of reformation training with them. If all goes as I plan with this team, then your execution won't be necessary anytime soon."

"So you're giving me one more chance at reformation? And you're willing to bet it all on this team?" Kasumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Tsunade smiled.

"Isn't that a little risky for you? I mean, you are the Legendary Sucker and all…" Kasumi said, trailing off with a small conniving smile.

Tsunade's brow twitched. She took a deep sigh before continuing, and she let a smile spread across her face. It wasn't a mischievous smile to match the other girl's own expression. The Hokage's face held a genuine smile filled with faith and determination. "I'd bet on this team anytime."

Kasumi's coal eyes slightly widened, but she had to grin, despite herself. "Bring it on then, Lady Hokage."


	9. Circus

**Alright! After four months of pirate deprivation, I have finally finished this chapter! I'm dedicating this one to Black7, who actually gave me my first threat. I've never been given such a harsh deman for updates, but I'm quite flattered, honestly :D So, I hope this update lives up to everyone's expectations. **

**By the way, sorry for not responding to reviews. I really do appreciate them, I just don't have time to respond to them. I hope me not responding to them doesn't keep you guys from reviewing because I appreciate all words feedback, whether they be positive or negative!**

**Anyway, this song is Circus by Britney Spears.**

**Read on and enjoy!**

* * *

The sun shined brightly over the Leaf Village, signifying the beginning of a new day. The shining light and the always cheerful personalities of the villagers remained equal to that of nearly all preceding days. The buildings remained just as colorful as usual, and many civilians walked passed all these structures, only entering them when needed.

One building, known as the Interrogation Office, was a large steel structure that reached up to three stories, not including the floors that ran beneath the massive edifice. The construction was nearly shaped like a box with no extravagant feature that related it to its brother buildings of the Leaf Village. The only feature that gave this office any form of color other than the bland graying steel was the thick pillar that reached only ten feet in the air in the center of the roof. The green Konoha flag that was tied to this pole flapped neatly with the wind as the breeze blew it towards the west.

Outside this building, a team of shinobi waited both patiently and impatiently for the prisoner that they needed to guard. Only one particular member of this group radiated with annoyed intolerance, but it was enough to cancel out the calm vibes of his teammates.

"What is taking so long?" Naruto yelled in frustration as he punched the air with anger. "She's almost as late as Kakashi-sensei!"

"Naruto, it has only been ten minutes," Sakura said, attempting to control her own anger as she listened to her friend rant on and on and on…

Sakura wondered how he had not grown used to tardiness, as Kakashi was always late for everything. Rather than adapting to it, the blonde genin had obviously grown even more fed up with lateness.

His teammate's words did nothing to soothe Naruto's irritation. "But still, doesn't she have some kind of consideration for others? I mean seriously, what kind of prisoner comes late to her own punishment?"

"A smart one, obviously," Sai said from his potion of leaning against the corner of the gates that stood in front of the Interrogation Office.

Naruto was about to retort, but after remembering the gossip of the other members of the Konoha Eleven and their time with the Blue Tiger of the Mist, he couldn't deny that it was probably true. Now that he actually thought about it, it wouldn't have surprised him if the prisoner made it a point to be as late as possible. Maybe not even show up at all.

"Remember, Naruto," Kakashi started as he leaned on the opposite post of the fence of which Sai leaned on. He held his _Icha Icha Paradise_ book loosely in his hand, his eyes never leaving the graphic content on the page. "This is a pirate captain we're talking about, so she has to be at least a little diabolical."

"Yeah, true…" the Uzumaki sighed as he locked his hands together behind his head.

He caught something out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to see four ANBU guards walking up to Team Kakashi, the Blue Pirate captain in the middle of the heavily guarded troop of elite shinobi. The Hokage was following closely behind the ninja, keeping her hazel eyes fixed on the prisoner. The pirate appeared extremely calm as she walked up to meet her new reformation team. She seemed rather relaxed, in contrast to the day before, when she had immediately gotten into a fight with the Inuzuka boy.

"There you are!" Naruto yelled in outrage, pointing an accusing finger at the blue-haired girl. "You're late!"

Kasumi's eyebrows rose slightly as she looked at the blonde screaming at her. "So?"

"I could be training right now, but instead, I'm stuck babysitting you!" the whiskered boy complained.

The pirate's coal orbs, if possible, immediately darkened as she stared at the ninja in front of her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she glanced at the Fifth Hokage, who appeared to be holding herself with a small sense of confidence and triumph. The sly smile on Tsunade's face really said it all.

Kasumi turned back to stare at Naruto, who was still glaring at her. She growled her words in a low whisper as she said, "I do not need a babysitter."

"That's not what the Hokage seems to think," Sai said from a few feet behind his blonde comrade. His infamous fake smile was spread across his face, his eyes crinkled shut just for added emphasis.

The pirate eyed the pale-skinned boy as he continued smiling at her. She blinked a few times in mild surprise at his expression, as the fake grin seemed to be permanently etched on his face. "Wipe that smile off your face. It's disturbing."

Sai completely ignored her words as he continued to smile. Sakura rolled her emerald eyes at him, obviously used to the unnerving grin that always seemed to be on her teammate's face.

"Welcome to Team Kakashi, Kasumi Mayonaka," the jounin said, his face twisted into an amused smile beneath his dark mask.

Kasumi glanced at the little orange book that was still settled in the sensei's hands, and she let her head hang down slightly in annoyance as she remembered seeing one of crew members reading that same book. She knew exactly what was in it after she confiscated it. She had chucked it into the ocean not too long after she found out the genre of the book's content.

"Oh dear lord…" she mumbled.

"Introduce yourselves then," Tsunade said as she crossed her arms over her large chest.

"Right…" Kakashi said as he finally put his book away into its pouch. "I am the team leader, Kakashi Hatake."

"I'm Sakura Haruno," the pink-haired kunoichi said as she held up her signature peace sign.

"I am Sai," the black-haired boy said, his face never falling from his phony smile.

"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki! The greatest ninja of the village and the future Hokage! Believe it!" the exuberant blonde said as he pointed to himself with his thumb.

The pirate captain sighed as she felt a headache slowly growing already. "I fail to see how that's possible…" she said as she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What'd you say?" Naruto questioned loudly and angrily.

"Remember? I fought you in the Land of Waves," Kasumi said, a cocky smirk appearing on her face. "You didn't stand a chance. Unless the Leaf Village is filled with weakling shinobi, I fail to see how _you _could be the greatest ninja in Konoha."

"Why you lousy good-for-nothing cocky annoying stupid little-"

"You have fun now, Kasumi," Tsunade interrupted, a triumphant smile spreading across her ruby lips. She turned on the tip of her red high heels and walked away, with the ANBU in tow, already looking forward to seeing how Team Kakashi fared against the Blue Tiger of the Mist.

"Well anyways," Kakashi sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets, "I guess we'll be on our way to the training grounds then."

"Oh joy," Kasumi muttered. With each member of the shinobi surrounding her, the group made their way out of the village and toward a secluded forest area for a more spacious and private spot to complete the reformation training.

* * *

Out in the deep ocean, a ship sailed slowly forward across the waters. The dark blue color of the majestic vessel and its black sails contrasted against the cerulean ocean on which it floated. The sun was high in the sky, and its golden rays reflected off the water to give the image of sparkling crystals floating on top of the blue sea. _The Midnight Thief_ proceeded right on through water, disrupting these glittering reflections nestled on top of the sea's surface into mere ripples as waves splashed them away.

Inside his quarters, the captain rubbed his chin in deep thought as he stared at a map of the world spread out on his wooden desk. The different colors representing the different countries were laid out before him, and he absentmindedly marked an X with his pencil on the water representation, where he assumed _The Midnight Thief_ was currently traveling.

Masaru shrugged to himself as he inwardly contemplated the different villages worthy of pillaging. As his emerald eyes roamed over the pictures of islands, his gaze subconsciously landed on a small swirl design that rested deep inside the main continent. It was the shinobi symbol that represented the Land of Fire's Konohagakure.

The temporary Blue Pirate captain sighed to himself. He dropped his pencil onto his desk and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to convince himself that the stress of being captain was the only reason why he was thinking of her.

Deep inside though, he knew it was repressed memories of the time he had first met the girl who later became known as the Blue Tiger of the Mist. _That _day had been popping up in his mind a lot since she had been taken prisoner. That day… the one and only day when he had seen Kasumi as a fragile little girl.

A fortunate knock on his door startled Masaru out of his thoughts, but he gladly beckoned the person inside. The door creaked open to reveal one of the elder members of the crew, probably around twenty-five or so. His shaggy brown hair fell into his light blue eyes, and his worn and baggy clothes did little to conceal the tan-skinned muscled biceps and chiseled chest of the assassin.

"What do you need?" Masaru asked, rubbing his forehead to rid himself of any remaining haunting thoughts.

"There's a ship due north of us. It appears to be a cargo ship from the Land of Water," the underling said, keeping his head bowed slightly in respect.

After a short moment of weighing the pros and cons, Masaru stood from his seat. "Assemble the crew. I want everyone on deck immediately." The man nodded in response and quickly fled to gather the other pirates. The captain quickly swept from his cabin to wait on deck for the rest of the crew.

* * *

"You want to do what?"

There it was; another scream of defiance and incredulity upon hearing the new day's reformation activity. However, the yell didn't come from the expected person. In fact, the person who would normally be upset about the training was sporting an evil grin suitable for a Cheshire cat.

The person who did scream, however, was looking at her sensei like he was a lunatic. "What kind of reformation training is that?" Sakura asked, her jade eyes pleading with the squad leader to rethink what he had said.

"Well, I think the 'training' part seems suitable enough. As for the 'reformation' part, that will factor in too," Kakashi drawled out lazily.

"I like your sensei," Kasumi remarked, her evil smile still plastered across her facial features.

"Alright! This is going to be so cool!" the excited Naruto cheered happily. He was jumping up and down around the small group, repeatedly chanting words of excitement. Sai didn't have a comment to make, but his dull black eyes watched his teammate leap in joy around the clearing, trying to fathom why this particular form of reformation training was so exciting.

"But…" the pink-haired girl started weakly, "a battle? I fail to see how this is productive at all."

"Hey, a punishment is a punishment," the pirate said, sending a cold glare towards the other female. "Leave it as it is."

Sakura almost shivered under the Blue Tiger's stare, and she was sure that if Kakashi's idea for the day's activity wasn't denied soon, the pirate captain just might pick her as her first target.

"Sensei…" Sakura whimpered as she stared at her teacher with pleading green eyes. "How is a fight going to meet the reformation standards?"

"Well…" Kakashi sighed as he flicked some of his silver bangs out of his one uncovered eye. "Judging from her previous history of reformation activities with the other teams, I have come to the conclusion that Kasumi here has a lot of penned up anger."

At this, the pirate captain fixed her glare on the teacher. She scowled at him, but he pointedly ignored her.

"So, with a battle, I figure it would be a decent way for her to release that unnecessary rage that she seems to hold with her everywhere she goes," the gray-haired jounin continued. With hands shoved into the pockets of his dark blue pants, he sluggishly turned his lazy gaze over to the still bouncing genin. "And this way, Naruto can stop bugging me about not having enough time to train him."

"Heck yeah! Finally, a strong opponent to test my abilities!" the orange-clad shinobi said, his signature foxy grin stretched over his face.

His team sweat-dropped at his words, obviously insulted at not being considered worthy enough to train with him. Well, Kakashi stared at his student with a bit of nonchalance mixed in with his offended feelings. Sakura looked about ready to pummel the unsuspecting blonde. Sai only looked at his teammate blankly.

Kasumi smirked deviously at the excited ninja. "Oh, so you think you stand a chance against me, kid?"

Naruto blinked a few times before he pouted. "Hey! I'm not a kid! I'm the same age as you!"

The criminal shrugged condescendingly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Unless you can beat me, I still consider someone as immature as you as a kid."

The genin was about ready to lunge at the prisoner, but his squad leader kept a firm grip on the collar of his black and orange jacket. "Easy, Naruto. I didn't give the rules yet."

It took a few moments for his snarl to ease away, but after he finally calmed down enough, the genin mumbled out a, "Fine." He then stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest in a childish manner.

"Alright then," the silver-haired man began. "No ninjutsu or genjutsu allowed. I won't be taking those chakra bracelets off because I definitely don't trust you without them. Only taijutsu is allowed, and weapons that you have on you now will be the only ones that can be used unless you acquire some from your opponent."

Kasumi slightly grimaced at the odds faced before her. No ninjutsu allowed, so she couldn't use her kekkei genkai. No weapons allowed unless she happened to steal some from someone else. She was known to use her high heeled boots as a good defense and a bit of offense, but that was about it.

She shrugged to herself. She would just have to improvise when the heat of the battle began.

"Are we all good?" Kakashi asked. Everyone nodded their compliance. "Alright. Team Kakashi versus Kasumi Mayonaka. Begin!" And with that, the group of five instantly scattered into the forest.

* * *

Out in the distance on the blue waters, Masaru could see the smaller brown ship sailing horizontally in front of _The Midnight Thief_. The white-sailed vessel was only a short distance away from the Blue Pirates, providing a clear target for a good raid.

"They're not even attempting to get away from us," Osamu commented as he came to stand beside his higher-up by the railing of the ship.

"They must not know who we are then… Poor saps." the black-haired pirate said. He flashed a confident smile; a smile that, Osamu noted, didn't really compare to the signature cocky grin of the Blue Tiger of the Mist.

"Orders then, Captain?" the white-haired male asked. "Do we strike?"

After a brief moment's contemplation, the man in charge gave a firm nod. He turned to face the rest of the crew, who were eagerly awaiting the command. Masaru's green eyes glanced around to make sure everyone was paying attention before he yelled, "I want all hands to stations! Prepare for battle!"

The deck became a swarm of bodies quickly moving about to steer the ship toward its designated target. The midnight-colored boat cut through the cerulean waters easily, and with the leader's wind-release techniques giving more power to the sails, the pirate ship drew closer and closer to its next victim.

At last, the innocent carrier ship was in range for the strike. The people aboard could easily be seen now, and the expressions on most of their faces appeared startled at the sudden arrival of another vessel.

Masaru smirked. "On my order!" He raised his arm in the air as wind began to pick up in the palm of his hand. Expressions of terror stared at him in fear as the wind became a visible silver color around the pirate's hand to form a claw. "Ready! And-"

Suddenly, the entire pirate ship jerked to the side, causing a few of the crew members to fall over. With his jutsu deactivating from the sudden loss of concentration, Masaru furrowed his eyebrows as he looked over the edge of the ship. His eyes widened as a murky green slime bubbled up from the surface of the ocean. It instantly began to cling to the bottom of the dark blue boat, and the slime reached out until it covered the water's surface that kept _The Midnight Thief_ afloat. Within seconds, the pirate ship was glued in place to the hardened surface of a portion of the goo-covered sea.

Confused and shocked, the captain looked up to the passengers of the cargo ship, and he gaped at the triumphant smirks that were replacing the previous looks of horror. The Blue Pirate grimaced when his emerald eyes finally landed on one particular 'civilian' performing a unique hand sign. The man's dull brown eyes flashed with victory as he pulled away his large straw hat to reveal a headband with the Hidden Mist symbol carved into the metal plate.

"_Mist shinobi?"_ Masaru hissed inwardly. One by one, ratty and worn layers of clothes were stripped to reveal professional Kiri jounin vests. Forehead protectors gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting the shinobi symbol in front of the eyes of the Blue Pirates.

"Shit… They're all Mist ninja…" Rikuto grumbled as he glared at the passengers of the other ship.

"And they sure as hell ain't here just for me," Ayame mumbled as her faded blue eyes roamed over the battle-ready warriors who hailed from her old village.

Realization suddenly dawned on the captain. This wasn't just any trap. It wasn't just some freak accident. The Kiri shinobi were there to finish what Konoha had started: to terminate the remaining Blue Pirates.

Masaru mentally cursed himself for falling into the trap. He should have known the 'cargo ship' would be swarming with Mist ninja. The fact that it hailed from the Water Country was a dead give away. Now he had gotten the Blue Pirates into an unnecessary battle.

"Who among you do you name as captain?" the ninja who had trapped the pirate ship called out. His question was laced with an arrogant and victorious tone instead of an actual curious inquiry.

The raven-haired male placed a smirk on his face as he straightened up and pointed to himself with his thumb. "You're looking at him."

The ninja raised an eyebrow at him. "Alright then. With Kasumi Mayonaka currently under the restraint of Konoha, let's see just how good the Blue Pirates still are."

Masaru's eyes narrowed. It seemed that word had already spread about Kasumi's capture. The news definitely spread more quickly than anticipated. That wouldn't be good for her sake, for if the snake Sannin discovered her whereabouts, it could mean a deliberate strike against her. And she was currently alone in the Leaf Village.

Hopefully, _he_ wouldn't obtain the knowledge of her location anytime soon.

Masaru briefly glanced at his crew. He was a little wary of a full-out battle with Mist ninja who were intent on destroying the crew that their own missing-nin had created. But judging from the excited and eager faces of the pirates and the firm glue that held the ship in place, it was obvious that a fight was inevitable.

The Blue Pirate leader smirked. "Bring it on."

* * *

Just on the outskirts of the Land of Waves, two figures approached the large cemented structure of the bridge that led into the small village. Waves of the ocean splashed against the pillars that held the pathway up. A pair of stone cold eyes stared at the kanji that were written across the opening archway. The young man's eyes flashed crimson for a split second as he looked at the name of the bridge, written proudly at the top of the arch.

The second person chuckled as he glanced at his companion staring at the name of the structure known as the Great Naruto Bridge. "So? Any remorseful feelings for your old teammate?" Kabuto asked mockingly.

The rogue Uchiha glared at his fellow apprentice with malice before he turned away and marched off down the path. The glasses-wearing ninja snickered under his breath before he followed after the younger male.

The two colleagues crossed the stone bridge and entered the small town. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as he looked around the village. The buildings, the roads, the homes, even the people looked so… broken. The town's condition looked almost the same as it was when Gato had been around. Possibly worse…

When Team 7 had arrived just those few years ago, the village was in a state of immense poverty. People were living on the streets, buildings were run-down and ready to collapse at a moment's notice, and food had been scarce. What Sasuke remembered the most was that the spirits of many of the villagers were utterly broken while Gato was in charge.

Now, as the raven-haired male looked around, he wondered just how well the village had been doing after his old shinobi team left. The buildings were still destroyed, there were no shops set up, and the people seemed heartbroken. The topping on the cake was the fact that dried blood was scattered everywhere.

Sasuke eyebrows slightly furrowed. Did one criminal really break the spirits of all these people again? It didn't seem possible, especially when the villagers had been ready to defend their home against the infamous drug dealer those few years ago.

Kabuto glanced at the curious and confused look on the younger boy's face. "The Blue Pirates show no mercy, wherever they appear."

The Uchiha turned to look at the silver-haired man. There was no emotion written on his always stoic face, but his eyes displayed his unasked question.

"That's why Lord Orochimaru finds such interest in Kasumi Mayonaka," the medic continued. He turned away and began to walk further into the village. "The Blue Tiger of the Mist has nearly everything the Lord wants."

"Nearly?" Sasuke asked, his curiosity getting the best of him as he followed his traveling partner.

"All you need to know, Sasuke…" the medic purred out maliciously as he walked away, "is that there is only one thing that makes you and Kasumi different. You're a predator, and she is prey." The Uchiha's eyes narrowed in confusion at his elder's words, but he decided to drop the subject.

The pair headed deeper into the destroyed town, and it wasn't until the harbor was stretched out in front of him did Sasuke realize where Kabuto was leading him. The docks were in the same miserable conditions as the buildings that made up the village. Pieces of wood floated aimlessly by the shore, and the once clear blue water seemed murkier than the Sharingan user remembered. He briefly wondered if the dirtied water was tainted because of the bloodshed.

He turned away to see Kabuto approaching the small house on the harbor, his Sound Village forehead protector already hidden within his cloak. Sasuke scowled momentarily as he raised the hood of his black cloak over his head, the shadows easily concealing his face.

The two apprentices walked up to the front of the home, and Kabuto reached out to firmly knock on the wooden door. The sound of shuffling could slightly be heard from inside the house, and moments later, the door swung open to reveal a young boy on the brink of reaching adolescence.

"Can I help you?" Inari asked as he ruffled his brown locks absentmindedly.

"Why yes, actually, you can," Kabuto said with a sickeningly sweet grin. "My friend and I are travelers, and we just happened to notice that your village isn't in the best of shape."

"Yeah, what's it to you?" the boy asked with a glare.

"Well, I was just wondering if you could share some information about what happened," the ponytailed ninja said, his smile never faltering.

Inari eyed the strangers warily. "Who are you guys again?"

Kabuto sighed in annoyance, his smile becoming a bit more impatient. "Is there anyone else home that I could speak to?"

"No," Inari responded curtly. "They're out fixing the village, which is what I was about to do."

The silver-haired man rolled his eyes behind his thin-rimmed glasses. "Fine. Can you just tell me what happened?"

The preteen eyed the strange man suspiciously as he contemplated slamming the door in his face. His eyes briefly glanced at the hooded person who stood off to the side, not uttering a single word. Inari turned back to the questioning stranger. "The Blue Pirates attacked us."

"Really?" Kabuto smirked as he cocked an eyebrow. Now he was getting somewhere. "Do you know what happened to them afterwards?"

"They left," Inari said, getting very annoyed at this point. "Duh."

The medic closed his eyes in frustration. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a breath and then pushed his spectacles up all the way to rest a little bit higher on his face. "Do you know where they went? Did you hear of anything that might leave a hint as to where they might have gone?"

The young boy glared at the stranger. "Are you a ninja?"

"Do you see a headband anywhere on me?" Kabuto asked, the irritation and impatience in his voice very evident now.

Inari pouted a bit childishly as he stared at the glasses-wearing man on his porch. He really didn't like this guy. Now, all he wanted was for him to go away. "No, I don't know where the Blue Pirates went."

Kabuto sighed in exasperation and turned away, muttering incomprehensible words. Sasuke smirked to himself when he heard something along the lines of, "Useless children" and "Waste of time."

Inari must have heard him as well, because as Kabuto walked away, he was glaring holes into the back of his silver head. "But the Blue Tiger of the Mist was captured by Konoha shinobi."

The medical ninja instantly froze and slowly turned around to face the boy, and Sasuke quickly whipped around to stare at the younger male in surprise. "Really?" the eldest of the three males inquired curiously, a tiny yet delighted smile appearing on his twisted face.

"Yeah, by some good friends of mine too," Inari replied with a small smile as he remembered his Leaf Village acquaintances.

Sasuke instantly stiffened while Kabuto grinned. "Thanks a lot for your help, kid," Orochimaru's assistant smiled.

"Yeah… no problem," Inari muttered as he watched the two men walk away. He closed the door once they had left the porch and shook his head in exasperation as he went to prepare himself for helping his grandfather and mother repair the village.

Once the two Sound shinobi were far enough away from Inari's home and any other watching eyes, Kabuto tied his ninja headband back around his forehead. He bit his thumb and let his hands fly through the necessary hand signs. After the final sign was made, he slammed his bloodied hand to the ground. A small circular seal appeared on the ground briefly before a puff of smoke clouded the area.

A regular-sized purple snake was sitting between the two men, its acid green eyes staring up at both of them. Its black tongue slithered out every few moments as it waited patiently for its orders.

"I need you to relay a message to Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said as he kneeled on one knee so he was closer to the snake's face. The reptile stared at its caller expectantly. "Tell the Lord that Kasumi Mayonaka is in Konohagakure, and Sasuke and I will be heading there to wait further orders."

The snake nodded once before it turned away and slithered into the dense foliage of the forest. It was gone within seconds.

Kabuto stood up from his kneeling position and turned to see the expectant onyx eyes of the Uchiha. "So?" Sasuke inquired. "Once we get to Konoha, we just wait then?"

The elder ninja nodded as a smirk graced his lips. "That's right."

* * *

Dark eyes glanced about through the cover of the green leaves, keeping a close watch on anything that moved within a close proximity. Perched on the branch of a large oak tree and hidden in the shadows, Kasumi kept a firm gaze on the area around her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and her growing excitement left chills that made her shiver with glee. She hadn't had this much fun since she had left the Blue Pirates for this mission, and the suspense was already eating at her. She wanted to fight so badly.

The snap of a twig quickly alerted the criminal of an approaching target, and she quickly ducked down to conceal herself a bit more until her opponent became known to her.

The black-haired and pale-skinned member of Team Kakashi landed on a tree branch not too far away from the pirate's position. Kasumi's charcoal eyes stared the boy up and down, calculating his abilities while trying to refer back to his fighting style back in the Land of Waves.

Sai, as she recalled his name being, cautiously looked around, trying to sense her presence. The prisoner smirked; the four chakra bracelets she wore on her wrists and ankles actually helped in concealing her from the shinobi. With no chakra signature, it would be even more difficult for them to find her. At least the accursed metal rings were good for something.

Kasumi quietly left her spot to sneak around her prey. Silently leaping from branch to branch, the pirate captain made her way to stand only a tree away from her new enemy. His back was to her, his dull eyes scanning the area in front him. The criminal smirked, jumping from her perch to quickly and swiftly strike her opponent. Within seconds, the sharp heel of her boot was falling towards the left side of his head. Reacting fast, Sai drew his small katana and blocked the pirate's strike.

Still in midair from her attack, the Blue Tiger flipped sideways, and the heel of her boot hooked onto the ANBU blade before the small sword was flung out of its wielder's hand. The sunlight reflected off the shined metal as the weapon fell to the ground, lodging itself in the grassy dirt beneath the two fighters as they stared at each other from opposite branches.

Without a word spoken, the Root member launched himself forwards, a kunai drawn in his hand. The pirate expertly dodged each swipe, maneuvering out of the way of each swing. Sai did not relent as he pressed forward, trying to land a strike on his enemy. Kasumi moved backwards along the length of the tree branch, and her coal eyes quickly glanced at her surroundings. She inwardly smirked as she calculated her next move.

Sai raised his knife to strike once more, but before the blade could make contact with his target, Kasumi had ducked out of range. She attempted a sweeping kick to his legs, but he easily jumped over the attack. Taking advantage of being in the air, he used the split second of time and momentum to bring down the kunai with immense force towards the criminal's blue head.

The ANBU member was sure he had his opponent bested, but his eyes widened when she dove headfirst off the branch. He froze in surprise as he watched her flip in the air and land swiftly on the lush grass. Sai's fallen blade was wedged in the ground right next to her, and she easily pulled it out and held it by her side as her new temporary weapon.

She moved her head to the side so she could stare at the shinobi above her. "So how about it? Come get me, if you think you're up for it."

Sai's eyes narrowed before he leaped off the branch, hurling toward his enemy. He raised his kunai as she lifted the sword, and the two blades clashed together, creating a metallic echo across the forest. The weapons pushed against one another, neither wavering in the slightest. Kasumi quickly lifted her right leg to kick Sai in the side, and he stumbled with his footwork, falling over and landing on his back.

The pirate quickly threw her blade at the spot where the ninja's head should be, but he quickly rolled out of the way of her attack. He fluidly moved to his feet only to be met head on with a flurry of punches and kicks from his enemy. Sai expertly dodged the strikes, mechanically ducking away from the raging captain.

Scowling to herself, Kasumi feinted a blow to his head only to kick him in the chest when he dodged her arm. The attack startled him so much that he couldn't block the series of sharp kicks that followed, and the razor heels of the pirate's boots tore at Sai's short shirt and bare stomach.

As Sai fell to the ground, Kasumi was about to deliver another fierce kick to his chest, fully prepared to break his ribs, when she felt another presence approaching from behind. Quickly redirecting her kick, she spun around and clashed her heel on chakra-enhanced fist of a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

Kasumi narrowed her dark eyes in a dangerous manner. She brought her leg back away from Sakura to hurl a punch toward her instead. The medic easily caught the fist in her hand, and she used her chakra to crush the pirate's hand in hers. The blue-haired girl hissed in pain as she felt the medical ninjutsu violently compressing her hand. Kasumi tried to punch Sakura away, only to have the same results as before happened. Now both of her hands were trapped. She saw a ghost of a smile on the kunoichi's features as she burned the Blue Pirate's hands with her medical chakra.

Sai grabbed his katana that was stuck into the ground and brought it up to stab the prisoner. Kasumi grimaced at her bad luck, but she quickly counteracted the incoming blade with her foot by kicking it off to the side. But it didn't stop the kunai that she hadn't noticed before; the raven-haired boy raised the knife up and aimed it right at the criminal's heart.

Biting her lip in quick contemplation, Kasumi quickly moved her body so that the blade came crashing down on her shoulder. She sharply took in a breath of air as the knife lodged itself in her shoulder blade, and she could feel the warm sticky substance seeping through her shirt.

Growling at the pain she felt in her shoulder and hands, Kasumi quickly kicked Sakura away from her and then used her good shoulder to shove Sai out of the way. She speedily jumped into the trees to leave the scene and find a hiding spot to observe and treat her bleeding wounds. Sai and Sakura rapidly got their bearings before taking off after the captain. But once they took to the trees, the pirate was already out of sight.

* * *

Kasumi sat down by the base of a tree, leaning with her back against the hardened trunk. A river flowed directly in front of her. Its rapids let the water flow quickly, but its serenity kept the entire scene at peace. The cleansing sound of the river actually soothed Kasumi as she scooted closer to the edge of the water.

She slowly slipped off her elbow-length fingerless red gloves, and she cringed as she eyed the red peeling skin of her hands. She let them soak in the cool water, and her breath hitched as her limbs welcomed the feel of the cool liquid against her skin. Her eyes closed in a peaceful bliss, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Kasumi felt tranquility that she didn't realize she had been missing. Even if it was only a small creek, it brought back beautiful memories of the vast ocean. The pirate could almost feel the wind blowing through her hair, taste the ocean spray against her face, and hear the waves moving with her beloved ship.

Kasumi almost forgot where she was in that heavenly moment.

The ache in her shoulder brought her back to reality, and her black eyes shot open in pain. She clutched the weapon lodged in her skin, and pain instantly shot up and down her spine.

"Son of a…" she muttered. She pulled the blade from its place, and she violently growled a foul cuss word into her hand.

Still holding the kunai at her side, Kasumi stood up from her spot by the river, watching the blood leak from her wound to stain the grass by her feet. One drop of her crimson liquid landed in the blue water of the river, and she stared at the web of red that stood out against the rushing water of the creek. It didn't take long for the single drop of red to disappear with the rapids of the stream.

"_How much blood would it take to taint this river red?"_ Kasumi thought to herself as she stared at the spot where her blood had landed in the river.

Her dark eyes glanced up to follow the brook, knowing that the small remnant of her body had already disintegrated in the water.

"_How many bad deeds does it take to corrupt a person?" _she silently wondered to herself, her eyes glazing just a bit. She stared at nothing in particular, and yet, she felt as if she could see everything by just looking at the brook.

A rustle in the leaves behind her caused Kasumi to frown, and she quickly turned around to see an orange blur flying towards her. She flung the kunai at the blob, but the new arrival easily deflected it. She eyed the blonde ninja as he landed in a crouch in front of her, his own knife in his hand prepared for an attack.

"You're really going to take me on?" the prisoner asked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked at her. The tone of her voice sounded more distracted and sad than it had before, when she had been spouting cocky words at him about his incapability of being a good ninja.

"Heck yeah, I am!" the whiskered boy shouted. "And I'm going to take you down."

Kasumi stared at him for a few seconds, in which nothing happened during that time. Finally, she plastered a smirk on her face. "Bring your worst… if you have it in you."

The blonde growled as he launched himself forward, bringing his weapon down toward the criminal's already injured shoulder. Kasumi quickly ducked out of the way and kicked at her opponent, who stumbled backwards from the impact. Taking advantage of the moment, the pirate hurled herself forward and released a series of punches towards the ninja's face and chest.

Naruto flew back against a tree from the blows of the furious strikes. He groaned as he felt a soreness creeping up his cranium. Fighting against the growing headache, he opened one eye just in time to see his enemy throwing her damaged fist toward his head. The blue-eyed boy yelped in surprise as he dodged out of the way, tucking and rolling until he was a safe distance away.

As he stood back up, Naruto threw his fists back into place in front of his body, prepared to attack at a moment's notice. "Is that all you got? I want everything you have, pirate scum!"

The cocky smile that had been lining her features instantly vanished as Kasumi heard his insulting words. "Scum?" she asked with a frown.

"Yeah, you heard me!" Naruto yelled. "I said to give me your all, trash!"

"Trash?" Kasumi shrieked, her anger suddenly hitting a furious spike in level.

The shinobi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he watched her reaction. He shook his head to keep himself on track, and he fixed his determined stare on the pirate captain. "Yeah! You and your crew are nothing but a bunch of scumbags!"

That was a breaking point for Kasumi.

She flung herself forward, and Naruto barely had time to react as he quickly drew a kunai to halt her incoming punch. She easily maneuvered so that she was out of range of his knife and then side-swept his legs from underneath him. He fell to the ground, dropping his weapon in the process. Kasumi picked it up and then let the sharp heel of her boot pierce into the skin just above the ninja's heart.

"Let me tell you something, brat," Kasumi hissed as she placed her new weapon at the base of Naruto's throat. "You would do good to not insult me. And you would be smart to not badmouth my crew, especially when _I_ am standing right in front of you."

Naruto was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude. So this is the kind of anger that Teams Guy and Asuma had had to deal with…

Struggling against the heavy boot that pushed against his ribs, he glared up at the girl standing on top of him. "Alright, listen, you psycho wench!"

Kasumi cocked an eyebrow at him, showing that he had her murderous attention.

"You're a horrible person with a sick and twisted sense of pleasure! You kill innocent people with no reason whatsoever!" Naruto shouted up at the girl. "You're a criminal, so it's our job to keep the world safe from freaks and trash like you!"

The blue-haired teenager glared down at the boy beneath her feet. She pressed forward with her foot, nearly breaking the ninja's ribs. With just a bit more force, she knew she would soon be able to relish in the sound of the sickening crunch of his bones…

But instead, she backed away.

Naruto blinked in surprise. He had been fully prepared for the pirate to break his bones. He knew he would have the Kyuubi's chakra to heal him, even if he didn't really want it in the first place. It was always a backup plan to have though. But apparently, this time, it wasn't needed.

He stood up from the ground and stared at the pirate, who had her back turned towards him. "You make a lot of assumptions about the Blue Pirates, kid."

Naruto glared at the blue-haired girl before him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You guys are criminals. What more would I need to know?"

"You don't need to know anything, and I don't want you to know anything anyway," Kasumi shot back angrily. "But those who mouth off about things they don't know should have their tongues cut off and watch as it is thrown to the sharks."

The blonde cringed at her graphic idea of punishment, but his blue eyes still glowered at the girl in front of him. "You're one to talk. Wasn't it you who was spouting crap about me not being good enough? You don't even know me, so how can you expect anything more from me?" he accused as he pointed a reproachful finger at her in fury.

Kasumi let out a dry chuckle. "Worse things have happened to me than having my tongue slit."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her in bewilderment. "You're a pirate. It's our duty to keep you imprisoned. And it is our mission to reform you. What do you have against us? We're doing our jobs."

The girl scoffed in mock amusement. "Oh, please. Pirates... Ninja... When you airheaded shinobi stop to think about it, you will realize that we pirates have a lot more in common with ninja than you think. Do not badmouth my crew, and do not disgrace my pirate name. The Blue Pirates have a lot more integrity than you ninja care to believe."

Now Naruto was extremely confused. Here this pirate was, preaching to him about integrity. It was a bit much for him to handle, especially when he had only come to this river to pick a fight with the legendary Blue Tiger of the Mist.

"What do you mean pirates and ninja are almost the same?" the blonde boy asked as he took a hesitant step forward.

"Heh, it's too much trouble to explain this to an idiot such as yourself," Kasumi said, a hint of her arrogance returning. "All you need to know… is that you should think about those who you label as enemies and those who you call friends. Because chances are… you won't be able to tell anyone's inner demons apart."

Naruto's mouth fell open slightly as he tried to comprehend her words. But before he could question her about them, she had taken off into the trees. "Hey, wait!" he called out. He grumbled when he realized she was already gone and quickly pounced off after her_._

* * *

Kasumi landed in the clearing that the reformation activity had officially started in. The meadow stretched out around her, and the trees encircled the field as she moved to stand in the center. The wind blew gently against her cheeks, and she absentmindedly compared this dry breeze to the sea spray that she had grown accustomed to over the years.

She didn't have long to dwell on the similarities and differences between the land and the sea, because Sai and Sakura had found her location. They landed on either side of her, with Sakura in front of her and Sai behind.

It wasn't long before Naruto had wandered in on the scene, finally catching up to the pirate. He joined his teammates in surrounding the prisoner by standing to Kasumi's left. To complete the circle around her, Kakashi appeared from the forest and stalked over to stand on her right. The prisoner glared at the jounin, wondering where he was the entire time. Probably reading his perverted book, she concluded.

Kasumi instantly raised her arms to cross in front of her, her palms face outwards to the side. Her coal eyes glanced around her in alert, prepared for any one of the four shinobi to attack.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kakashi raise a hand out, and she quickly redirected her full attention to him to counter his strike. But instead, his lazy voice interrupted her thoughts of attacking.

"That's enough for today," he drawled out as he shoved both hands into his slacks. "Time to get you back to your cell."

The criminal cautiously put her arms down, falling out of her offensive crouch. She still kept an attentive eye on the shinobi around her.

"But I am proud of you, Kasumi," Kakashi said, his eye crinkling a bit to show his smile. "You didn't go on a murderous rampage or attempt to run away. I call this progress."

"Don't taunt me, Hatake," the blue-haired girl spat.

Kakashi's silver eyebrow rose, almost daring her to do something she would regret. But she wasn't fool enough to fall for these mistakes more than she already had, so she just let her shinobi team escort her back to her prison cell.

* * *

The sound of war cries rang out across the two ships as both shinobi and pirates continued to engage in battle against one another. Ropes entangled one another as members of both parties swung over onto the opposing ship. The epic battle raged on as the ninja and the bandits put their all into their strikes and attacks. Blood was spilled to paint the decks of both boats, and the ocean rocked the ships violently back and forth as the fight continued.

Masaru was about to leap over onto the shinobi ship to challenge the Mist ninja head on, but he was stopped when the leader of the ninja crew landed in front of him. The captain's green eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at the man who had dared to confront him.

"Going somewhere, pirate?" the brown-haired man inquired.

"Only to destroy the man who dared to strike this ship directly," Masaru shot back as he referred to the sticky substance that kept _The Midnight Thief_ stuck in place.

"Then let's see how good the first mate of the renowned Blue Pirates truly is," the ninja grinned.

The black-haired male stared at the offending shinobi with deadly eyes before he threw his hands into the correct signs for his upcoming jutsu. "Wind Style: Razor Wind Jutsu!" Instantly, the air sharpened into a jagged edge that hurtled toward the Mist ninja.

The brown-eyed man rolled out of the way, forming the correct hand seals for his own jutsu in the process. "Slime Style: Sticky Sand Jutsu!"

The pirate hadn't realized what the jutsu had done until he tried to lunge forward. But when his feet did not obey him, he glanced down to see a thick green liquid bubbling up through wooden floor of the ship's deck to coat over his black boots. Once his feet were engulfed in the slime, the liquid hardened into a fine sand that left his feet stuck in place. Masaru growled as he eyed the light brown sand speckled with a greenish tint. He attempted to struggle out of the hardened slime, and it was then he realized that the more he moved, the more the sand began to creep up his legs.

His eyes widened in shock, and the ninja smirked. "Try getting out of that one, pirate," the shinobi spat as he straightened out of his fighting stance.

The solid slime was now up to Masaru's knees. Even with sending chakra into his legs and feet, the sand stayed firm in its hold. The temporary captain growled as he felt the sand suck up his chakra only to grow in strength.

"Now, how about we speed up the process, eh?" the Mist inhabitant said. He held his hand out in front of him, and the slime-like sand responded in reply to his command. The substance sped up as it crawled along Masaru's legs, completely covering his waist now.

"Get away from my captain!" a scream sounded from just above the two fighting leaders.

Masaru didn't even have a chance to look up before a blur fell from the sky to strike the ninja standing before him. The shinobi only had time to look at his attacker before he was pinned to the ground. The captain's emerald eyes widened in surprise when he saw Akira's petite form hovering over the leader of the Mist ninja.

"Slimy good-for-nothing stuck-up shinobi," the brown-haired female muttered as she held her small katana at the man's throat.

The raven-haired seadog let loose a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Gathering his bearings, he let his wind chakra surround his right hand before he began to use his energy-enhanced limb as a chisel against the cemented slime that encased him. It took a few moments before he was finally free, though the green and brown speckles of sand still lingered on his black shirt and black pants. By the time Masaru looked up to see what had happened, Akira was losing her fight against the shinobi leader. The blue-eyed girl was shoved against the rail of the midnight-colored ship, her own katana being used to draw small amounts of blood from her neck.

Masaru didn't even think when he reacted; he simply launched himself forward and pushed the ninja out of the way. As the brown-haired man stumbled and attempted to regain his footing, Masaru took the opportune moment to wreak his revenge. With a simple swing of his arm, the ninja was thrown back with a random yet strong gust of wind.

"Can you finish him off, Akira?" the captain asked as his jade eyes watched the ninja pick himself back up.

"Don't insult me, Masaru," the girl shot back as she stepped in front of him to continue her battle. The raven-haired male just smirked as he turned around to engage in a separate fight.

His smile instantly vanished when he glanced around the two ships. The war between the shinobi and the pirates was still going strong, but one side was clearly standing nearly victorious over the other. Masaru frowned as a sick realization dawned on him.

The Blue Pirates were losing.

"Damn it," he murmured to himself as he ran across the deck. He had been too wrapped up in losing his own fight – a fight that he wanted to assure himself that he could have won if he hadn't underestimated his opponent – that he didn't even notice that his crew was suffering.

Blood tainted the dark blue color of the pirate ship, and bodies were collapsing to the ground one by one. There were no dead bodies, Masaru noticed, which he was quite thankful for, as he didn't want to explain to Captain Mayonaka when she returned that he had gotten half of her crew destroyed. But for the Blue Pirates to be losing in the first place was a disgrace all in itself.

The captain bit his lip as he watched the chaos ensue aboard the two boats. He glanced around quickly in search of someone specific, trying to find the person amongst the crowd. He sighed when he found who he was looking for.

"Osamu!" Masaru yelled loudly.

The white-haired male glanced down to the captain when he heard his name. Currently, he was balancing on the rail of the shinobi ship, battling one of the Kiri ninja. He frowned when he looked at his captain.

"What?" he shouted back as he dodged a bludgeon to his head.

"I want you at the helm!" the leader of the pirates ordered.

Osamu was quite surprised at this order. He may have been the designated helmsman in most cases, but during a battle, he most certainly had never been called.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment," he replied as he attempted to side-sweep his opponent's legs beneath him but failing.

"Get over here, now!" Masaru commanded.

Blinking in surprise, Osamu quickly shoved his enemy out of the way before leaping back over to his home ship. Following the demand, he bounded over to the wheel, where his captain was already waiting for him.

"Mind telling me what this is about?" the well-dressed pirate asked as he flicked a stray piece of hair out of his onyx eyes. He grabbed the wheel quickly as he waited for any kind of explanation from his higher-up.

"When I give the sign, I need you to steer the ship as fast as you can away from the shinobi," Masaru informed as he kept his emerald eyes locked on the other ship.

Osamu didn't even bother trying to hide his surprise, but it didn't take long for him to realize what his captain planned on doing. "We're running away, aren't we?"

The other man subconsciously tugged at the red bandana around his forehead, an old habit he had developed as a Waterfall Village ninja. "Just do as I say, no questions asked."

The white-haired male simply nodded as he watched the younger man leap back into the hectic chaos of the battle on the deck. Once Masaru had made it to the edge of the rail, where his crew would be able to hear him, he shouted the only order that could ever make a pirate captain cringe.

"Retreat!" he yelled out to the gang of bandits.

The Blue Pirates were so surprised by the command that they didn't react right away. But once they saw the deadly eyes of their waiting captain, those who had been fighting on the shinobi ship quickly retreated back to their home ship. The rest of the pirates attempted to force back any remaining intruding ninja on _The Midnight Thief_.

The leader of the shinobi, however, was unwilling to let the pirates go. He stood on the railing of his ship and quickly threw his hands into the correct signs. "Slime Style: Slime String Jutsu!"

The sticky green slimy substance shot out from his hand to attach to the rail of the pirate ship, acting as a rope for him to hang onto. Within seconds, more slime was extending from his hand to attach to the ship. Combined with the cemented slime that kept the boat in place atop the water's surface, _The Midnight Thief_ was stuck in place.

Masaru growled as he prepared his upcoming jutsu. "Hayashi and Ayame! At the ready!"

The criminals in question nodded as they leaped into action, each unsheathing their swords. With swift strikes, the slimy vines were cut away, and the slime-using ninja fell back from the momentum. He quickly picked himself up and was about to order his squad to attack, but Masaru beat him to the punch.

"Wind Style: Whirlwind Fang Jutsu!" he yelled.

He tugged at the red scarf around his neck as it billowed from the enhanced wind that began to pick up around him. The crimson article of clothing flew off of his neck and landed somewhere on the deck as a giant white wolf formed from the air from the wind chakra. The wolf howled as it raised its claw up to strike, completely in tune with its master's movements as Masaru raised his own arm. The pirate swung down fiercely, and the wind creature followed suit.

With a loud crunch and an echoing crack, the hardened glue that had kept the pirate ship in place was broken. Osamu reacted quickly, knowing that this was his designated moment, and he quickly redirected the ship around and away from the opposing boat.

With one final exhausted yet determined swing of his arm, Masaru ordered his wolf to strike the Kiri ship. Its claw crashed down on the phony cargo ship, only doing enough damage to stall the pirates' getaway. The Mist Village boat crumbled only slightly; it still stayed afloat, but its sails were shredded, and its major assets were destroyed, allowing the Blue Pirates to make their escape.

Masaru breathed in deeply, trying to regain some of the energy he had lost. His wind-enhanced wolf evaporated back into the atmosphere as _The Midnight Thief_ quickly glided across the water. His vision blurred extremely as he tried to focus on the condition of his crew.

But his own state was weakening with the loss of so much chakra, and in front of the entire gang of criminals, Masaru collapsed on the deck.

Distantly, he could hear voices just above him. There was some frantic yelling and screaming, and he could see distorted shapes and blurs around him. But he couldn't find the strength to concentrate on any of it, and so he let his green eyes close to welcome the cooling darkness.

* * *

In a dark and dingy cell underneath the ground, a certain blue-haired female sat on the cot she was given when she was dubbed a Konoha prisoner. The moans of the surrounding prisoners filled the air, creating a dreary symphony of uncomfortable music. As this was her fifth day in the prison, the Blue Tiger of the Mist should have become accustomed to the cries of the dying criminals that were her prison mates.

But she wasn't.

She sighed, leaning her head into her hands as her fingers laced together to hold her forehead up. She tried to block the depressing groans of the nearby prisoners by recalling the swishing of the ocean's waters against her ship, creating that beautiful soft splashing that she had grown to love so much. But even that couldn't drive away the sounds of the dying people.

The sound of approaching footsteps awoke Kasumi from her daydream of the sea. It was just around dinner time, so she was correct in her assumption when she saw one of her ANBU guards approach her cell with a plate of disgusting prison food.

"Dinner," was all the masked man said as he stood in front of the cage door.

The prisoner sighed as she stood up and approached the barred entrance of her cell. The elite ninja opened the small slot in the door that rested at about the height of Kasumi's elbow. He slowly slid the plate of food into her cage, and she grimaced as she took the food away from him, eyeing the pathetic-looking bowl of thick soup and small piece of bread. She placed it off to the side to eat later, if she felt like it.

The pirate looked up to see that her guard was already on his way down the corridor to leave. She leaned against the vertical bars of her cell as she watched him go before calling out to him. "Hey, guard!"

The ANBU stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to look back at her. She gestured for him to come closer, a look of innocence lining her facial features. Through his porcelain owl mask, he glared skeptically at the girl behind bars. After a moment's contemplation, he figured she could not really attack him, what with the chakra bracelets and all. He slowly and cautiously made his way back over to stand in front of the Blue Tiger of the Mist's cell.

"What do you want?" he asked, his deep voice sounding only a bit muffled from the mask.

Kasumi shrugged as she lazily leaned her arms through the bars to rest against the metal. "Do you know how long I have to go through the Hokage's reformation punishment?"

The ANBU shook his head. "She did not say."

The teenager sighed in evident exasperation. "Well, do I at least get a medic or something? Do you have any idea what those brat shinobi did to me?" she asked. She pulled off her red gloves to show off the burned and peeling skin of her hands from Sakura's medical ninjutsu. "Seriously, what kind of a prison are you people running here? You don't even treat your wounded prisoners?"

"If I recall, Kakashi Hatake did have Sakura Haruno heal your bloody shoulder before he sent you back into your cell," the owl-masked shinobi countered.

"Yeah, well, if I start to lose the feeling in my hands, Konoha's going to have some serious shit to deal with from me," Kasumi threatened.

Behind his mask, the elite ninja was rolling his eyes at the whining yet deadly tone of the imprisoned girl. "If it still hurts, Lady Tsunade might heal them for you."

"Thank you," the blue-haired girl said sarcastically. "Jeez, I can't believe how hard it is to get some decent service around here."

The ANBU rolled his eyes a second time before he turned and walked away, leaving the Blue Tiger alone with her half-dead prison mates.

Once she was sure he was gone, she grinned to herself. Slipping her left hand from behind her back, she dangled the ring of keys she had stolen from the ANBU's belt. "Rules of Piracy 101: Lesson Number One – Learn to pickpocket without being detected."

She chuckled to herself as she began unlocking the bolt that kept her imprisoned. Once she swung the door open, she walked out, almost as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"Lesson Number Two – Never reveal your secrets of wit to anyone."

She carefully kept a firm hold on the ring of keys as she cautiously made her way through the prison and up the stairs into the Interrogation Office.

"Now to get me a map of the Village Hidden in the Leaves…" she muttered to herself in excitement.


	10. Over My Head

**Hi, guys! Thanks so much for so much support and all. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**Over My Head by The Fray**

* * *

The pitch black cover that was the night sky blanketed over the town of Konohagakure. The moon was shrouded by the immense group of passing clouds, leaving only the distant white specks of the stars to provide any light. It was almost like clockwork, how the lanterns and candles went out throughout the homes and buildings within the village. Almost simultaneously, the lights were put out, and only the occasional streetlight provided any sufficient manmade illumination.

This dark night provided one particular person with the best opportunity for a midnight field trip. The flash of blue hair whipped quickly as the young woman leaped from rooftop to rooftop, occasionally concealing herself when a Leaf shinobi on patrol passed by. The sea captain of _The Midnight Thief_ swept quickly and effortlessly through the village, away from the building in which she was imprisoned toward the one place where she knew she could get the information she wanted.

The Hokage Tower stood high and mighty, even within the darkness of the shadowy night. The painted red structure stood out against the black shades, allowing the escaped prisoner to spot easily from a distance away. She smirked slightly as she picked up her pace, being careful to keep her presence unknown to anyone who may be around.

Once she had made it to the building, Kasumi slowly circled around it, trying to find a way inside. After examining the sides of the structure over and over again, she pouted. "Bah, looks like I'm going for the classic breaking and entering method…"

She quickly located the glass window panes that took up the majority of the wall of the Hokage's circular office. The village leader's office was on the top floor, and the windows provided a clear view of the town for the Hokage to watch over. The pirate leaped from ledge to ledge, careful to make sure that she did not make a sound. She gently tested each window to find that they were, of course, locked. The Blue Tiger of the Mist twitched her nose in thought, trying to find a way inside the building before the ANBU on patrol spotted her.

Moving quickly, Kasumi reached into the side of her right boot. Hidden in a small pocket on the inside of her shoe was a single senbon needle. The blue-haired female was not a particular fan of this form of weaponry, but she always kept one on her person for situations such as this. The pirate captain may not have favored using them in battle, but she found creative uses for nearly everything she could get her hands on.

A satisfied click from the window lock caused a triumphant smirk to spread across the prisoner's lips. Slowly and steadily, she slid the glass open to allow entry into the small rounded room. The girl quickly stepped into the room and closed the window behind her.

Suddenly, a passing shade from outside the building alerted Kasumi of another's presence. She rapidly ducked beneath the window sill, pushing herself against the wall to conceal her form in the confines of the shadows as much as possible. The moonlight spilled through the clear glass, illuminating the room with faded white light and leaving only a few spaces dark enough to hide in.

The pirate subconsciously inhaled sharply, almost as if fearing that breathing would give away her hiding spot. From her squatting position against the wall by the windows, she watched the shadow of the figure pace back and forth just on the ledge of the roof by the Hokage's office. After staring at the silhouette of the mysterious person and noticing the strange cat ears that seemed to point out of the head, the teenager concluded that it was an ANBU member.

Despite having a few years of experience with breaking and entering, she had never found a suitable way to stop her heart from hammering so loudly. Even though her own crew and her enemies would consider her a professional at stealth, the hovering thought of getting caught always flittered in the back of her mind.

Moments passed by dreadfully slowly, even though it was truly only a couple minutes. Just as quick as the figure had appeared, the elite shinobi disappeared to continue the patrol route. Kasumi released a long sigh of relief, though she remembered to make sure that her exhale was not excessively loud.

The Blue Tiger speedily picked herself up and began rummaging through the shelves that circled around the room and the drawers of the leader's desk. If her assumptions were correct, Tsunade would have one or at least a few copies of a Konohagakure map somewhere in her office. If she was wrong, then she'd have to head to the archives to find one, and chances were that the Hokage's secret library was even harder to enter than her office.

As she continued flipping through files for a decent map, she grumbled unhappily to herself. She incessantly wondered to herself why she just didn't go to the Leaf Village Public Library; it would have been so easy to find a diagram of the town there. But the moment she thought of this, she shook her head defiantly. The public library may hold several charts for tourists and locals, but any map that the Hokage used would have significant posts, landmarks, passages, and anything else that would prove to be of great importance. Digging through the busty blonde woman's messy desk was the only way to find a good enough illustration of the village.

Kasumi spent several long minutes just delving through Konoha's files, trying to find her objective. She dove into the shelves around the room, and she tore through the drawers, all the while making sure to keep everything in their correct places.

The Blue Tiger of the Mist was about to give up hope of finding a design of Konohagakure by the time she came to the last drawer of the village leader's table. She pulled on the handle to find that it was locked. At this realization, the blue-haired girl perked up in anticipation. Quickly removing the senbon needle from its hiding place in her heeled shoe, she began picking the bolt of the drawer. Within seconds, the tiny lock clicked, and the pirate threw the drawer open.

Inside were several manila folders lined up next to each other, all squished together to make room for each one. At first, Kasumi paid no mind to the titles of each file or the contents that lay within each one. She was merely looking for a label that would insinuate some form of chart or diagram of the village. But as she fingered through each beige categorizer, her thumb and index finger halted as they reached one particular tab in the drawer.

The female's eyebrows furrowed together as she removed the file from its place in the line. Her coal eyes stared at the orange sticker at the top of the page that provided a name, indicating what the contents of the folder specifically were.

_**Kasumi Mayonaka**_

Curiosity suddenly coursing through her, the captain stood up from her crouched position by the desk drawers and sat in the wheeling spiral Hokage chair. She placed the folder on the wooden surface in front of her and opened it to uncover just what the Leaf Village had found out about her.

There were multiple pages within the file, and she noticed that most of these documents were copies of what that scarred interrogator had been throwing in her face only five days before.

There was a picture of her when she was twelve; it was the last official photograph she had taken as a registered Mist kunoichi. In the photo, her hair was shoulder-length, and her face still had the less-developed look of a preteen. Her Kiri forehead protector was still tied securely around her head.

Kasumi kept her eyes emotionless as she looked at the close-up photograph of her younger self. After analyzing it for a few more moments, she flipped the page to look at the next piece of paper.

The next sheet, surprisingly, was a collage of pictures, attached by paperclips and staples, each photo displaying glimpses and glances of a person disguised in a midnight blue cloak. One picture had a clear shot of the back of the cloak, where there was a nice view of a special symbol: yellow circle with three blue slashes.

The prisoner hummed to herself when she realized what this collection of pictures meant. She was going to be given a definite page in the continental shinobi bingo book. Perhaps not a page that meant she needed to be captured or killed; Konoha definitely wouldn't assume she'd be able to escape. This would probably be for precaution, at best.

At this point in her criminal career, Kasumi was certain that she was listed in the Kirigakure bingo book as an S-class criminal. However, many of the other nations did not yet know of her true identity; they only knew her as the Blue Tiger of the Mist. Kiri had tried to keep it hush-hush about who she was for a while. Now that Konoha had captured her, a new page in the worldwide shinobi bingo book would surely be added soon.

The Mayonaka wasn't sure if she was upset or pleased with this outcome. With a simple shrug, the girl flipped to the next page. This paper listed an entire stat sheet of her abilities, no doubt gathered from her records in Kirigakure. The pirate fingered her chin in thought as she observed the information that cataloged her talents and weaknesses. This particular folio had not been updated since her shinobi days, but she had to admit that it was a pretty fair analysis of what she was capable of.

She continued moving through the pages of her folder, only stopping out of curiosity to glance every now and then at what type of documentation her home village and the Leaf had accumulated. Most of the remaining papers merely listed shinobi missions she had completed during her time as a genin and chuunin. Kasumi briefly wondered if some of these records were from any other small towns or ninja nations; it would make sense for Konoha to gather as much information as possible if they wanted to keep her as their prisoner.

The Blue Tiger was about to close the manila file and continue her original search for a map of this accursed village, but she stopped when she glimpsed at the last page of her folder. The words, **"the murderer of those closest to her…"** popped out to her off the page, and she curiously brought the paper closer to her black eyes to read.

"…**When Kasumi was twelve, her immediate family and teammates were found dead in the Mayonaka compound. Interrogations and searches were conducted on the premises. No one had seen anything. However, when questioning was attempted on Kasumi, no information could be extracted from her.**

**A week after the funerals, Kasumi Mayonaka went missing. Because of this, she is deemed as a missing-nin, and it is suspected that she is the murderer of those closest to her…"**

The ex-kunoichi stopped reading after that. She placed the document back in its place, her coal eyes looking at but not comprehending the words on the paper.

Everyone suspected her of assassinating her family and friends? Where did they get this information? How much did they even really know?

A dreadful sense of urgency suddenly spread through her, and she rapidly closed the file and shoved it back in its proper position in the cabinet. In her sudden haste, she almost forgot why she was there in the first place. Completely forgetting about her careful stealth, Kasumi hurried through the desk and shelves again. This time, she did find a map of Konohagakure, but her emotions and mind were running too wildly for her to be thankful that she had found it.

Throwing the rolled map into the inside of her boot, the teenager quickly leaped out of the office, making sure to lock the window behind her. Unlike her usual self, she had thrown caution out the window just so she could get away from the Hokage's Tower. Reading the file on herself had freaked her out more than she had originally thought it would. The shinobi nations knew more about her than she thought they did. They didn't know everything, but that was not necessarily a good thing either. Whatever it was they would be putting in the worldwide ninja bingo book would definitely put more of a bounty on her head. She was charged with the deaths of her family and friends… and in a way, it was her fault.

If she really deserved to have that extra bounty was the question that she could not answer, but the nagging feeling in her head that she deemed was her almost forgotten conscience wouldn't stop telling her that she was solely her fault her precious ones were dead.

An overwhelming nauseating feeling erupted in the pit of her gut, and Kasumi was forced to stop her jumping upon the rooftops to clutch her stomach. A shiver ran up and down her spine, making her nearly freeze in the cool summer's air. Bile stung her throat, and she almost threw up the disgusting dinner she had eaten only hours before.

A queasy hand reached out to grasp something to keep her balance, but there was nothing there except for air. Her legs collapsed from under her, and her hands attempted to keep her somewhat up by pushing against the cemented roof. Now on her hands and knees, her breath came out raggedly and painfully. Her hyperventilating seemed to pick up as she thought about the day she had changed her life. Sweat pooled at her eyebrows and matted her blue hair to the fair skin of her face.

She had always tried to run away from what she had done. She had always tried to drown her emotions by being the heartless witch she was known across the world as, almost like it would shroud the dark deed that she indirectly caused. But seeing it written down on paper was like reality slapping her in the face.

There really was no escaping her past.

Her guilt flooded through her, and she almost didn't notice the presence that appeared behind her. "Kasumi…" a sudden voice said.

The blue-haired teenager gasped as she realized that her guard had been so low that she hadn't even noticed anyone sneaking up on her. She flung herself to her feet and turned around to see her reformation leader from this past morning staring at her with a quizzical look in his uncovered eye.

"Hatake," the girl instantly spat, hoping her voice was laced with enough venom so that the jounin would not suspect that she had just had a mental breakdown.

Apparently not, for the wary look in the man's expression did not fade as he slowly approached the girl. "It's rather strange…" he uttered as he stepped toward her. "When I saw you standing here, I was fully prepared to rope you and drag you back to your cell. Then you collapsed to your knees."

Kasumi's charcoal eyes narrowed threateningly, almost forbidding him to continue this train of thought. "What's it to you anyway?"

The silver-haired male stopped in his tracks, and he shoved his hands in his pockets as he kept his masked face on the prisoner. "What happened?"

The pirate captain couldn't help but blink in surprise. In her mind, she had imagined him asking how she had escaped from her prison cell or what she was doing out in the village streets. She certainly didn't expect the ninja to be asking what had happened to her, and she certainly didn't expect him to ask with any amount of concern. Surprisingly, he had.

Kasumi lightly shook her head, clearing away the confusion and replacing it with guarded skepticism. "It's none of your business."

Kakashi's onyx eye remained on her, obviously trying to probe her for some kind of information about what had just occurred. He found none, for her strict defenses were built up again within seconds. Any amount of distress she had shown minutes before was gone, leaving behind the image of the strong and fierce Blue Pirate captain.

The jounin sighed at this realization. He had been somewhat close to cracking the mystery of the girl, and it was pointless to continue any further. With a jerk of his head, he uttered, "You realize I'll have to take you back to your cell now, right?"

Unpredictably, the girl nodded in compliance. "I figured as much." With a final breath of clean air, she moved to follow the shinobi back to the prison.

As the pair headed back towards the Interrogation Building, the jounin couldn't help but wonder just what the girl had accomplished in her time outside her confines. There was no sign of any destruction, there was no signal of her attacking any place in the village, and there had been no indication of her wanting to put up a fight. Kakashi wasn't foolish enough to assume that she had escaped her cell for the mere purpose of grabbing some fresh air. But he wasn't pushy enough to find out just what she had been up to, or at least not right now. He would find out eventually, he was sure of that.

The Hatake also made a mental note to mention to the ANBU that they needed to strengthen their jail system.

* * *

_Boom… Boom… Boom…_

The incessant pounding against his skull was what aroused the raven-haired temporary captain of the Blue Pirates from his comatose state. With each passing thud against his cranium, he could practically feel his brain jiggling and melting into nothing. It felt like he was bashing his head into the mast of the ship. Before he even opened his eyes, he questioned if he really had been doing it in his sleep, but then he realized he was lying down, so he easily negated that idea.

The male forced his heavy eyelids open, and he left the world of the darkness only to be met with more shadows. Masaru groaned as his eyes attempted to adjust to the dim light that came from a single candle over on his wooden desk. He ran a hand through his spiky black locks, feeling the sticky cold sweat that soaked through his scalp and the red cloth around his forehead.

Heaving himself into a sitting position proved to be strenuous for him, but after several attempts and many hisses of pain, he was able to hurl his legs over the side of his bed and keep himself somewhat upright.

Masaru was just about to stand up and wobble his way out of his cabin onto the deck when his door suddenly opened. The captain squinted his jade orbs against the flickering shadows to see who had dared to enter without knocking, and he visibly relaxed when his white-haired friend walked into the room. He didn't have to keep up the image of being a fearless captain in front of the other members of the Original Nine. It wasn't worth it to put up a front for them when they basically knew almost everything about one another.

Osamu smiled when he noticed the younger male sitting up in bed. "Ah, you're finally awake. Good."

Masaru furrowed his eyebrows at this as he rubbed some of the sweat off his face. "How long was I out?"

"More than a few hours at least," the well-dressed pirate answered as he took a seat in the chair at the writing desk. "It's around midnight right now."

A grimace spread across the captain's face as he winced at the news. He had really been unconscious for that long? "How's the crew?"

The older man shrugged in reply. "Fine. Only a few injuries, nothing major though." He stared off into the small fire of the wax candle as he let out a small chuckle. "Hehe, they're all awake, actually. It's surprising. Ask them to do work, and they're the laziest bunch I'll ever see. But now they're all awake because…" He instantly stopped himself when he remembered who he was talking to, and a frown etched across his face as he looked away nervously.

Masaru easily caught onto what his friend had been about to say, and he let out a short dry laugh. "Heh, they're all awake because they're waiting for me to wake up. Then they can yell at me for my decision to retreat."

Osamu bit his lip anxiously, avoiding eye contact with the other person. "I didn't say that…"

"But it's true, isn't it?" the captain asked, already knowing that he was right.

The suit-wearing man scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It is… partly, at least…" Masaru narrowed his green eyes skeptically, using the intensity of his gaze to force the rest of the information from the other male. Even though Osamu had been avoiding meeting his captain's glare, he could still feel it, and he sighed in defeat. "The majority of the crew does not think… you are cut out to be captain."

The raven-haired man flinched at those words. He had been having those same doubts ever since Kasumi left him in charge. It hurt like a knife to the heart to know that the other pirates agreed with what his mind had been saying.

Masaru reached a calloused hand to rub his mouth and chin in thought, a deep distressed look across his face. His emerald eyes were back to staring at the other person in the room, though without the ferocity laced within them. "And the other members of the Original Nine?"

Osamu sighed with disappointment at this inquiry. "They're the ring leaders, of course."

Masaru nodded sadly. Of course. The Original Nine always led the pack in decisions. It's what made them the leaders of the crew. It was part of the reason why they were special among the Blue Pirates; they were the founders of the pirate crew.

With a forceful push, the captain pushed himself off his bed and slowly moved toward the door. "I guess I should try to talk to them before they organize a mutiny then."

The older man nodded in agreement. He also stood up from his seat before he blinked in sudden remembrance. "Oh, hold up," he uttered. Masaru halted at the order, and he watched his companion rifle through the inside pockets of his suit in search of something. A second later, Osamu withdrew a crimson article of clothing from his jacket and held it out to his superior. "This was on the deck of the ship after you passed out."

The younger male blinked in surprise as he reflexively rubbed his bare neck, just realizing that he had not been wearing his scarf. He grabbed the scarlet clothing, uttering a soft, "Thank you…"

Osamu quietly watched his leader wrap the scarf around his neck. Even in the dim lighting of the cabin, his onyx eyes noticed the red marks and scars that littered the raven-haired man's collarbone and neckline. Their shapes were not the kinds that were formed from warfare. "Those aren't battle scars, Masaru…"

The Blue Pirate captain glared out of the corner of his eyes at his comrade as he finished fully wrapping the article of clothing in place. "I'm aware."

The white-haired criminal frowned at this realization. "How many did they really leave on you?"

Masaru scoffed at this. "Heh, way more than you've just seen. My parents took to heart the concept of tough love."

Deep gray eyes glanced away with guilt, regretting bringing up such a touchy subject. "I'm sorry, Masaru… I forgot about what happened to you."

The superior's eyes remained fixed on the guilty person, indifference clear in his green orbs. "I wish I could forget as well. Child abuse is not something I'd wish for any parent to commit."

Osamu grimaced at these words as he looked back to keep eye contact with his higher-up. "At least your parents are still alive somewhere. I'm sure deep down, they have a bit of reserved love for you."

The raven-haired pirate turned fiercely on his friend when his statements registered. A disgusted sneer was spread across his face. "Oh yes, because knowing the fact that they would beat me to death for everything I've done thus far is such a warming welcome," he derided sarcastically.

The suit-donning gentleman narrowed his eyes accusingly at this. "I don't think any of our parents would be necessarily proud of what we've done. But it's a choice we've made on our own. I like to think guardians protect you, even if you are in the wrong."

"Not everyone was gifted with such caring parents, Osamu," Masaru scorned harshly. He turned away to storm out of the room, but the other man showed an uncharacteristic anger by continuing the argument.

"Not everyone was gifted with life, Masaru," Osamu shot back. "My parents were taken from me because life is naturally cruel in itself. Be thankful you had anything to live for at all, even if it was just to make sure your parents showed some form of affection. My mother and father could barely whisper words of love in their final moments."

The two criminals stared harshly at one another, eyeing the other with angry glares. And yet, even as they glowered at each other, they weren't angry so much at themselves. They were angry with their pasts and what life had brought on them in their earlier years. And they were upset with the fact that, as adults, they couldn't evolve passed their pity stage. As they stood in the wooden room, with neither moving to break the silence, they could feel themselves wallowing in their self-pity, and they suffocated in it.

After moments of glaring at each other, their gazes softened, and with ashamed expressions, they sent each other silent apologies.

A knock on the door startled both out of the awkward silence, and Masaru distractedly beckoned the person to enter. A scrawny man with scraggly and stringy blonde locks walked inside to see the two black-clad pirates staring at him anxiously.

Coughing nervously into his hand, the third arrival muttered, "We have just docked…" He looked up to see his captain looking at him expectantly, and he nervously rubbed the thin gray material of his short-sleeved jacket.

"Where have we stopped?" Masaru asked in mild confusion.

Osamu took this moment to turn to the leader of the crew, sending him an expressive gaze. "We're at Dragon's Cove."

Emerald eyes blinked in surprise, both wondering yet understanding why his designated first mate had decided to bring the crew here. It was a very rare instance when the Blue Pirates came to this location, so when they did come here, it was always a sign of great importance. Masaru bit his lip tensely as he speculated whether the meeting this time would be helpful or if it would end in disaster.

With a nod of his head, he led the two other crewmates out of his cabin and onto the deck. Members of the crew were already filing off the ship to hang out in the small inlet. _The Midnight Thief_ was anchored outside a small cave. The entryway to the inside was small enough to be relatively hidden from other ships but big enough to allow sufficient room. The cave was at the base of a large cliff that extended into the mainland. At the mouth of the cave, ten pillars of rock stood around the entrance, signifying the reason as to why the area was called Dragon's Cove.

The Blue Pirates were exiting the ship to walk along a small pathway that ran along the side of the cavern walls. Inside was a small glittering pond that barely showed any light in the dark cavern. While it wasn't a mightily beautiful picture, it was enough for the pirates to feel relaxed and comfortable when they weren't aboard the ship.

Masaru stood at the edge of the rail of the dark blue boat, and he quickly contemplated just what he wanted to talk about and what needed to be discussed with the other founders of the crew. After inhaling deeply, he stood up straight and called out, "I want the members of the Original Nine to meet me on deck immediately!"

He watched the few figures move back through the crowd towards the ship while the remainder of the bandits proceeded further into the grotto to relax. A few patient moments later, eight of the nine founders of the Blue Pirates were scattered around the deck, staring at one another with expectance and eagerness.

"So…" Masaru began nervously, "I suppose we all know what we need to talk about…"

"Yeah, we do," Hayashi spat, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're going to talk about how you suck as captain."

The scarf-wearing pirate winced slightly at these words, though he tried to keep a brave front. "That's a matter of opinion, I suppose…"

"Well, the majority of us believe that perhaps Captain Mayonaka was wrong in choosing you to be her first mate," Tsubame said. Her voice was surprisingly calm for the moment, considering she easily became frustrated when dealing with matters such as this.

The temporary chief frowned as he looked around the small group to see everyone else's reactions. Around the circle of pirates, he received heated glares from his comrades. The only ones who seemed wary of showing any form of frustration towards their captain were Akira and Osamu. The brown-haired girl, however, seemed to be balancing between supporting her leader and siding with the other assassins. The well-dressed man had a tranquil look on his face, prepared to calm any fray that may arise.

Masaru sighed at the division of the original Blue Pirates. "I see that you all are basically mistrustful of me now."

"No shit," Ayame muttered. She was leaning against the rail of the ship, distancing herself a bit from the others.

The captain continued on, ignoring the blue-clad woman's statement. "However, just until Captain Mayonaka comes back, I need you all to follow my orders and bear with my leadership for now."

"I don't think that's a good idea anymore, Masaru," Kaito said blatantly.

No one failed to notice the fact that he did not refer to him as Captain Inoue. Perhaps in a time of leisure, he wouldn't have mind being called by his first name. However, in a situation such as this particular intense conversation, the barefaced display of disrespect only put a damper on Masaru's image.

The leader inhaled deeply, trying to suppress his anger. "Oh, really? You all are that upset with my decision to flee from the Mist shinobi? What does that make you all then? A bunch of egotistical hotshots. So we ran away, big deal."

"It is a big deal, Masaru!" Tsubame shrieked, her previous moment of peaceful civility suddenly gone.

"Yeah, you basically made us look like a pack of cowards," Rikuto added, narrowing his faded green eyes threateningly.

"Get your heads out of your asses and stop being so damn mighty!" the scarf-donning criminal yelled. "You all have grown much too comfortable in winning your fights. Accept the fact that we lost. It happens, get over it."

"It doesn't happen to us though," Akira interrupted, speaking for the first time. She sent nervous sky blue eyes in his direction, cautious of his reaction. She nearly shied away at the glare he sent her way. She mustered up just enough courage to squeak out the rest of her response. "That's the big deal here. We've never lost before…"

"And that's because Captain Mayonaka has been leading us since the beginning," Kaito commented dryly. "Her decision to leave us in the command of her first mate may have been the single mistake she's ever made as our leader."

"Alright, fine," Masaru sighed angrily. "So I made a misjudgment. It's my fault, I understand that."

"Which is why we think we should go to Konohagakure now and retrieve our rightful captain," Hayashi interrupted, casting an angry scowl towards the raven-haired male.

"She hasn't finished her mission yet," Osamu cut in before Masaru could blow his top. "Captain Mayonaka would be very angry if we ruined a task she assigned herself."

"This entire mission in itself is pointless," Ayame growled. "We can barely last five days without her. She had our best intentions in mind when she decided to take down the Leaf Village, but it's just not working out as she had planned. We need to go get her before things get worse."

"And you don't think I have your best intentions in mind?" Masaru sneered as he rounded on the blue-haired woman. "I ordered us to retreat so there would be no casualties!"

"We would have been fine with a little more time!" Rikuto shouted childishly.

"Do you even hear yourselves?" the captain asked incredulously, looking among his comrades with disbelief.

Tsubame bit her lip in contemplation as she eyed her commander. In a much softer yet equally threatening voice, she said, "The problem isn't just that you ordered us to retreat. It's also the fact that you threw us into a fight against disguised shinobi. Captain Mayonaka most likely wouldn't have put us in danger like that."

Masaru's green eyes narrowed ominously at the elegantly-dressed woman. "And how can you be sure she wouldn't have made the same mistake I did?"

"Because she actually thinks about things! She's a freaking strategist; she knows more about being a leader than you do!" the red-haired assassin yelled loudly.

"So you guys are questioning me about why I'm her first mate then?" the chief questioned in irritated surprise. "What the hell makes you think I got the position in the first place?"

"Well, wait a minute," Akira butted in, a bit of annoyance seeping through, "what makes you more qualified than the rest of us?"

Masaru looked at her in shock that she had now joined the others in reprimanding him. He glared at her fiercely, this stare just as threatening as the others had received. "I was the first to meet her."

"That doesn't make a shit load of difference!" the tall dark green-clad male bellowed.

"Yeah, you're one of the youngest members of this crew," Kaito said, narrowing his deep gray eyes suspiciously. "Why does she think you're more experienced than anyone else?"

"Why does age come into play?" the captain countered. "Kasumi is younger than almost everyone here, minus Akira. Yet you all show your respect to her."

"She's earned it," the sword-wielding woman remarked. "What have you done to prove your worthiness to us?"

Masaru was appalled at the audacity of the crew at this point. They never treated Kasumi this way. Then again, he couldn't remember a time when they had needed to…

"I don't need to verify my merit to you all," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I have already proven my value to Kasumi, and that is all I need."

"I don't see how a punk like you is Kasumi's right-hand man," Hayashi hissed out, his anger heatedly boiling.

Masaru turned to the taller male, staring at him with caution. He considered the other man's words carefully, studying them to catch the hidden intention within them. "So I think the gist of all this chaos is that you guys think that you can do a better job as first mate and captain than me."

"I can second that notion," Tsubame said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now tell me then," the captain jeered in annoyance, "why should any of you be Kasumi's first mate? If you all have the nerve to question my value, then I'll question yours."

Almost immediately, the band of pirates jumped in to start sharing their worth. Nothing could be heard over the arguing, but the criminals continued their disputing just so they could get their points across. Only Masaru and Osamu remained silent, and they stood side by side to watch the growing fracas amongst their friends. The scarf-donning leader was fully prepared to just let them all be; he had silently concluded that he would let them all blow off their steam on each other, and then he would intervene.

That plan did not come to fruition as Ayame suddenly rounded on him to bring the argument back to his end. "You're just some physically abused child who somehow weaseled his way into Kasumi's life! What the hell have you done to make yourself so special to her?"

That was one breaking point for Masaru. Each member of the Original Nine had a dark past, and upon first meeting one another, they had shared their dark stories. It had been vowed to respect each other's privacy and not to bring it up again unless the victim brought it up on their own.

Having his old life thrown back in his face like that made something snap inside him, and Masaru uncharacteristically brought a hand up to slap the woman across her face. He only saw red as he prepared himself to do it, but another person's hand grabbed his raised arm, holding it in place.

The captain turned around to see his white-haired first mate gazing firmly at him with his black eyes. "Stop," he said curtly.

That single word was able to make something click in his mind. How often had he asked his parents to stop when they raised their hands at him? Subconsciously, there had always been a reason why he would never physically strike a person. He had the scars to prove how brutal a simple punch could be.

Masaru gradually lowered his arm, and his ferocious expression eased into an apologetic stare as he looked to the blue-haired female. She did not return his sincere gaze, but he didn't mind at that point.

He took a deep inhale of breath to calm his nerves, and he contemplated his next words vigilantly. "I don't think I should tell you all why Kasumi has me as her first mate…"

"Oh my god," Hayashi muttered as his eyes widened. "You and Kasumi are dating!"

Pairs of eyes shot open in surprise at his words. "What?" Tsubame asked, appalled.

"What?" Akira mimicked in astonishment.

"In the name of all that is good, what the heck are you talking about?" Rikuto yelled in shock.

Masaru blinked in bewilderment, and for the longest time, he was unable to say anything. He shook his head quickly to get his head straight, and he stammered out, "N-No, that is not what is going on."

The katana-wielding male's mouth fell open as he pointed accusingly at his higher-up. "You stuttered! That means it's worse than I thought! You two must be secretly married!"

"That's… kind of disgusting," Kaito murmured, shaking his head in doubt at his comrade's words.

"That's really disgusting," Ayame agreed with a nod.

"That's just down right nasty," Rikuto added with a look of repulsion on his face.

Silence fell upon the group as everyone looked to the man in charge expectantly. Masaru's nose twitched in irritation, and then he palmed his forehead in exasperatedly. "You people have the sickest and most disturbing imaginations I've ever seen…"

"Well, what is it then?" Hayashi asked, aggravation clear in his voice. He was obviously upset that his theories were completely incorrect in every manner.

A deep sigh escaped Masaru's lips as he rubbed his face with calloused hands. His right hand covered his mouth while his left hand fell to land on his hip. His jade orbs nervously looked around the ship, almost as if he was trying to find a way to escape. In this moment, he felt trapped like a rat; he had nowhere to go, and his crewmates were staring at him with hungry eagerness in their expressions.

He exhaled loudly again as he looked to the wooden floor beneath him. Unable to keep eye contact with any of his partners, he muffled into his hand, "I saved her life the day we met…"

A part of him had hoped that no one had heard him while his other half hoped that they did so he wouldn't have to repeat it again. It was the deepest secret held between Kasumi and Masaru and possibly the biggest secret kept on the ship. The Blue Pirates knew of one another's pasts, and Kasumi's background was no exception. But this particular moment in her and Masaru's lives had never been discussed to anyone else, and it was supposed to stay that way.

Today, that promise had to be broken. To protect both of their honors, Masaru had to say it, even if he regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. He was both depressed and glad that Kasumi wasn't there for this instant.

The temporary leader slowly lifted his stare to see his comrades gawking at him. He couldn't blame them, honestly. They were used to seeing and hearing things that praised their true captain's strength. Learning of how she had been saved by her first mate was certainly not something they would have expected to hear.

"I… I don't understand," Akira murmured quietly, almost afraid to break the tense silence.

"What happened, Masaru?" Kaito asked, his normally stern appearance replaced with a confused yet curious expression.

The captain rubbed his forehead through the red bandana that covered it, and he closed his eyes tightly to suppress the growing migraine. "I'm not supposed to tell you… It's not my story to tell…"

"Fine," Osamu said, casually crossing his arms. He sent his friend an encouraging smile that also showed off his own curiosity. "Then only tell us your side of the tale."

Nods of agreement and gestures to continue went around the gang, and all pairs of eyes were settled on the provisional boss of the ship. The nineteen-year-old huffed slightly as he leaned against the railing of the ship to get more comfortable. "It's not a happy story… And it's not something I'd ever want to happen to anyone… But I guess you need to hear this so you can understand why I am Kasumi's first mate."


	11. How To Save A Life

**Hello, my faithful readers! If you've made it this far, well, thanks so much for sticking with it! You will be learning more about Kasumi and Masaru and how they met. I quite like this chapter, it's probably one of my favorites out of the story. **

**Oh, by the way, when this story is done (which won't be anytime soon, I don't think), there will be a SEQUEL! If all goes as planned, it should be even more epic than this one ;)**

**Anyway, read on and enjoy!**

**How To Save A Life by The Fray**

* * *

"Before the Blue Pirates began, before we all met each other, I met her. She wasn't known as the Blue Tiger of the Mist then. She was just Kasumi Mayonaka. You all know of what transpired between her and her family and friends. This story takes place perhaps only two weeks after that. That day… that's when things changed."

* * *

A year had passed since he had left his family. A year had gone by since he had become a missing-nin. Since he had escaped the place where had been abused all his life, he had nowhere to go. He wandered aimlessly around the world for a year. He had no aspirations, and he had nothing left for himself.

His entire life, Masaru's only goal had been to make his parents proud. Only when he had turned fourteen did he realize that it was impossible for them to take pride in anything he did. He was a puppet, a mere toy for his parents to show off to other shinobi. But in the confines of the Inoue home, he was whipped for not perfecting a jutsu, he was slapped for speaking out against them, and he was beaten for not being the best.

Scars have littered his body since he was five years old, an age that is supposed to be filled with innocent laughs, playful games, and childish dreams. But not for him. For him, his fifth birthday marked the day his mother and father began training him. Ever since then, he firmly believed he had at least one blemish on his skin for every day that had passed while he lived under his parents' roof.

Masaru subconsciously fixed the red scarf around his neck and the sleeves of his black shirt, making sure none of the marks that marred his body were visible.

The fifteen-year-old continued his trek through the forest. He had just left a small village that he didn't even take the time to learn the name of, and after making sure his supplies were restocked, he walked on. He had no destination, but he concluded that he didn't need one for now. He just hoped that he'd find a place where he'd fit in soon. He had felt lost for the past year; he had nowhere he felt he belonged.

The distant sound of splashing waves made the boy stop in his hiking through the dense green forest. Masaru absentmindedly wondered how he could hear water through such thick woods, but he blew it off as he followed the echoing noise. Straying off the dirt path that coursed through the jungle, he pushed against the bushes and branches that blocked his way.

After less than a quarter mile of walking, the endless forestation ended, and Masaru stood by the edge of the tree line. There was a small area of open grass, and then the land ended. He had made it to the edge of the mainland. There was a cliff that began in front of him and then extended for as far as he could see to his right. To his left, the cliff expanded but also sloped downwards until it morphed into a sandy beach. The seashore also seemed to reach for miles. Directly in front of him was a giant body of water. Even though he wasn't standing on the edge of the cliff, he could see the vast ocean stretch out before him. Its sparkling cerulean color held no boundaries, and it seemed to blend with the light blue of the sky.

For the first time in what felt like forever, a sincere and genuine smile appeared upon Masaru's lips.

His emerald eyes glanced around, and they landed on the figure of a girl sitting cross-legged on the cliff. Masaru blinked in surprise when he noticed her; he had been too preoccupied with noticing the beautiful scenery to see the hunched form of the young girl there. Though her shoulder-length bright blue hair, which was most of what he could see at the moment, definitely blended in with the ocean water that she was staring at.

Masaru contemplated approaching her to be friendly, but he halted in his steps when she suddenly stood up. Her back was still towards him as she reached up to untie something around her head. The boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as she suddenly threw the object into the air. The ex-Waterfall Village inhabitant curiously watched the cloth fly upwards before it slowly picked up speed to drop towards the water.

The sunlight reflected off the metal plate, and it was then that the Inoue realized that the item was a shinobi forehead protector. He was unable to make out which village insignia was engraved into the metal, but he didn't much care. The headband quickly disappeared behind the cliff, out of Masaru's view, and he assumed it splashed into the water within seconds.

So she was now a rogue ninja. Just like him. Well, at least they had something in common now. He again thought about going out to greet her.

Once again, the boy moved forward, but he stopped a second time when the girl leaned down to reach into a brown backpack by her feet. Her loose blue hair shrouded her face, causing the black-haired male to wonder just what she looked like. Judging from her height, she had to be at least a few years younger than him. She was wearing dark blue pants, a white three-quarter sleeve shirt, and standard blue shinobi sandals.

The mysterious girl finally pulled the designated objects from their place in her bag. From his spot a distance away from her, Masaru was unable to see what exactly the girl was now holding. She remained hunched over as she tied the strange items to her ankles.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment and cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. He took a quiet and cautious step forwards and narrowed his eyes against the bright sun to see what exactly the odd things were. After squinting against the sunlight, he realized what they were, and his green eyes widened in fear and shock.

They were weights.

Masaru was about to call out to her to stop, but he was suddenly struck to his core when he saw her face. She was staring out at the water with a longing expression, and tears had spilled from her charcoal eyes to leave salty liquid trails along her cheeks. He saw her mouth moving, and even though he couldn't hear what she had said, he could have sworn she had whispered an apology. In all honesty, the girl looked just as lost as he felt. He was mesmerized by the sheer emotion that he saw in her depressed black orbs.

She sniffled lightly, and that was when the fifteen-year-old remembered what was happening. He pathetically reached an arm out to stop her, even though he was so far away from her position. The blue-haired girl painfully lifted her now heavy right leg until it hovered over the edge. Her body moved slowly forward, and then she fell off the cliff.

"Shit!" Masaru yelled.

He bolted forward, throwing off his backpack as he ran to the side of the precipice. His feet led him to the side of the cliff but suddenly stopped, almost as if his body refused to let him go while his mind was screaming to move and save the unknown girl. Masaru watched with frightened jade eyes as the girl's body disappeared with a white splash into the water at least a thousand feet below his spot.

When he could no longer see the other missing-nin, Masaru threw precautions to the wind and leaped off the side. He felt himself falling fast, and the intensely cold wind pushed against his eyeballs, causing his lids to close. Goosebumps broke out across his skin as he felt the misty spray of the water on his back, and he tensed for the hit. He quickly turned over so that his back faced the water, and the moment he did so, the cold water enveloped him. The freezing seawater came crushing down on him, the waves tossing his body back and forth beneath the surface.

The squeezing feeling on his lungs began suffocating him, and he pushed his feet downwards so that he could tread to the surface. His head lifted from the water, and he heaved in massive gulps of air. Oxygen had never tasted so good.

Once his breathing had returned, he casted his green eyes back to the ocean floor, but he couldn't see passed the black water. What had happened to the crystal blue color of the sea? It was as if the surf had changed to a much darker color to match the dim atmosphere that arose the moment that girl had initiated her suicide attempt.

Taking in a deep inhale of air, Masaru plunged his body back into the freezing water. He pushed his legs forward, kicking and propelling them so that he could dive deeper into the dark depths. The further he submerged himself, the more he could feel the waves fighting over his body, jerking him back and forth like he was a rag doll to be fought over by children.

Masaru blinked against the salty sting of the seawater, his vision blurring now. It was difficult to just see where he was going, let alone trying to find a person in this darkness. The current battered him around, and he no longer knew which way the surface lurked.

Then he felt the ocean floor collide with his shoulder. He jerked slightly, happy that he had some form of direction, even though he was still completely lost within the cavern of icy water.

He flung his body around, trying to find some inkling of the girl. The suffocating feeling erupted within his chest again, and his left hand clawed at his heart, as if that would stop the heaving sensation in his lungs. He was just about to propel himself upwards, where he hoped the surface was waiting for him. But then his hand brushed against cold flesh, another hand, he realized.

Eyes widening in astonishment, he grasped the other hand, praying that it was the blue-haired girl's and not some random dead body lurking at the bottom of the sea. The raven-haired boy tried pulling himself and the girl up, but the extra weight held him down.

He mentally questioned why a girl smaller than him was giving him such trouble while trying to carry her. Then he remembered the weights. Keeping a secure hand on her body to make sure she didn't drift away with the strong current, he reached for where he assumed her legs were.

The Inoue's hands found the soft material of her ninja sandals, and then his fingers made contact with the iron weights tied to her ankles. His eyes failed him as the saltwater blinded him, so he was forced to rely solely on his now numb appendages.

His digits worked clumsily yet forcefully against the ever-moving tide as it tossed the girl and himself around ruthlessly. He didn't even realize he had removed the first weight until he realized that the unconscious preteen was floating away. Masaru cursed beneath the water, letting loose a precious amount of oxygen. This made him hiss a second time, though he made sure to not open his mouth again.

He blindly reached out his arms to grab the comatose female, but it only led to the tiring and straining of his muscles as they uselessly flailed about against the icy black currents. Stretching his elbow out straighter only pained him more, but when his fingers lightly brushed against the thin cloth of what he assumed to be the girl's shirt, he pushed against the aching just to reach a little further. He tugged on the soaked material and fumbled around with the body to find the second heavy metal.

This particular iron piece took longer than the first, or so it felt to Masaru. It was either that or the fact that his lungs were compressing agonizingly from the lack of oxygen. Bubbles leaked from his lip, taking away his limited source of air. Even against the dark water, he could see black spots invading his vision. He hoped that it was from the salt, because if not, then it meant he was losing consciousness.

Precious seconds passed by, but he finally felt the steeled weight disconnect from the girl's leg. Dropping it to the ocean floor, he grabbed the body and forced his legs to kick to the surface.

However, the closer he felt himself get to the top, the more he felt the tides attempt to rip his muscles apart. His legs ached from the strenuous work, and his right arm strained from trying to fend off the waves. He continuously felt the unknown girl slipping from between his left arm, and it took everything he had to keep his muscles coordinated enough just to keep a hold of her and swim to the surface.

Masaru's final resource of air left him, and through the black dots corrupting his sight, he watched the bubbles drift to the top, carrying away the last of his oxygen. With the last ounce of his strength, he pushed against the brutal waves and thrust his head out of the water, carrying the suicidal female with him.

Air wonderfully graced his lips, and the ex-ninja gratefully heaved incredible gulps of it. He glanced with tired green eyes to the unconscious girl in his arms. She wasn't relishing in the free oxygen like he was, and then he realized that she wasn't breathing at all.

"Damn it," he muttered, spitting out the foul salted water as he did so.

He turned his head this way and that, trying to find some place where he could bring her to rest. He saw the sandy shore a distance away, half of a mile if he was judging correctly. A length such as that wouldn't have bothered him had the circumstances been different. But his body was aching from being underwater for so long, and his muscles were still struggling just to fight against the riptide he was still captured in.

Masaru blinked the salt from his burning eyes as he frantically looked around again. This time, he spotted a small cavern at the base of the cliff from which the pair had jumped. Ten columns of rock surrounded the entrance of the cove, giving the appearance of sacred protectors guarding a blessed temple. It was maybe only a quarter of a mile from his spot; it was still a painful distance to swim in his state, but it was better than going to the shore.

With renewed vigor, the Inoue pushed his legs behind him, forcing them to move. Slowly but surely, he felt his body remove itself from the awful current into a less aggressive tide, allowing him to approach the small cave quicker.

Within moments, Masaru had entered the hidden cove, and he swam through it until he felt wet sand beneath his boots. With shaky legs and tired feet, he picked himself up so that he was standing and carried the cerulean-haired young girl bridal style. Her frame was slightly muscled from her training as a kunoichi, but as a whole, she was tiny and frail compared to his masculine and built body. However, due to the arduous work he had performed out in the sea, he found he could barely keep the girl from slipping from his over-exerted arms.

Once they were well inside the cavern, he placed the female on the sanded ground as gently as he could. He collapsed to his knees beside her, and he was fully prepared to pass out and rest his tired body, even if the gravelly ground beneath him was uncomfortable. Then he remembered that she wasn't breathing.

Cursing loudly, he moved so that he was seated by her head. Her skin was ghostly pale, and her lips were turning blue. Swearing again, he placed two fingers to the skin beneath her jaw; he nearly jumped in gratitude when he felt a faint pulse. Pulling his hand away, he tilted her neck so that her face was elevated slightly; keeping a somewhat steady hand on her forehead, he placed his lips on hers and breathed as much air as he could muster into her body. He gave her another rescue breath and then broke away to give compressions to her chest.

Masaru repeated this process again, yelling at her comatose form when there was no response. He broke his rhythm to place his ear beside her mouth, and he swore for the umpteenth time when he couldn't hear or feel her breathing.

The Inoue boy tried the procedure again, breathing into her mouth and exhibiting chest compressions as he had before. He was about to begin another round of rescue breaths when the girl's body jerked suddenly.

Masaru froze in place at the abrupt movement, and he watched as her chest heaved again. The girl turned to the side away from him and threw up the seawater she had ingested along with whatever she had had for lunch. Tears involuntarily leaked from her coal eyes as she vomited, the murky beige color mixing with the salty water to make a rather gruesome picture. The teenage boy turned away at the disgusting sight, combing his hand through his drenched mane of black spikes.

The ex-kunoichi transitioned from barfing to painfully dry-heaving, and Masaru reached a cautious yet caring hand out to pat her back in comfort. The moment he made contact though, the girl whipped around and crawled away from him, leaning on her hands and knees as she glared dangerously at him.

"Who the hell are you?" she hissed, her voice coming out hoarse and scratchy.

The fifteen-year-old gawked at her offensive behavior, and then he remembered that the only reason why he had gone through this whole ordeal was because she had tried to kill herself. "I think I'm the guy who just saved your life, you ungrateful brat!"

"Who the fuck said I wanted anyone to save me?" the girl screamed, her tone still ragged from abuse of its horrible condition. Her soaked blue hair whipped around wildly as she stood up to prepare to attack him.

"I think a better question is why the hell are you trying to kill yourself?" Masaru shot back.

She narrowed her eyes threateningly, and her voice dropped to come out in a guttural yet dangerous whisper. "That doesn't concern you."

The boy met her harsh glare with a glower of his own. He untied his red bandana and squeezed the water from it, taking out his growing frustration at the girl on the crimson article. "You know, I would think most suicidal people would be flattered that a stranger actually cared enough to save them. Apparently not."

"You're damn right 'apparently not'," the girl huffed in annoyance.

She suddenly turned away and headed for the cove's entrance, obviously prepared to leave. However, the moment she took her first step, her legs wobbled beneath her. Masaru was there in an instant, catching her in his arms the second she couldn't keep herself up any longer. She blinked in surprise at how her strength had vanished from her, but she nevertheless squirmed out of the elder teen's grasp, crawling away from him.

Masaru sent a scowl her way as he stood up on his own shaky legs. "Tch, you're welcome…" he muttered sarcastically.

Slowly and clumsily, the raven-haired teen made his way to the back of the cave, where a small glittering pond was settled. The darkness of the cavern prevented the sparkling water from glistening to its fullest, but its beauty wasn't what Masaru wanted anyway. Plopping himself on a stone by the edge, he plunged his hand into the cool liquid. The previous Waterfall resident flinched as the cold water met his freezing skin, but at that point, he didn't care for the temperature. The teen cupped his fingers and brought some of the cleansing liquid to his mouth, relishing in the feel of the fresh water on his chapped lips. He did this again, though this time he used the water to rinse out the salt from his mouth. The boy spat the nasty salty flavor from his mouth, allowing his tongue to ease comfortably again.

Masaru remained in his spot, staring at the dark yet calm pond. He heard the tapping of footsteps approaching him, and he visibly tensed, fully prepared to attack should the girl decide to strike him.

However, she surprised him when she sat beside him, crossing her legs beneath her. She casted her eyes to the water as well, and for a moment, the Inoue thought she was going to completely ignore his existence.

That notion was rebutted when she spoke to him, though still not looking in his direction. "You don't know me… You've never met me… You don't know who I am… " she whispered, her voice laced with a sudden and unknown sadness. "So why would you save me?"

Slightly astounded by her question, Masaru could do nothing but shrug. A few minutes of silence passed, and she did not respond. He realized that she was waiting for a more suitable answer, an answer that he could not form into words.

With calloused and rough hands, he rubbed his cheeks nervously in thought. "I don't know…" he finally managed to say.

"Why?" she asked, still in a whispering tone but a bit harsher than before.

Masaru sighed. "It's just… I don't know… I saw you crying before you jumped…" he uttered, looking away so he wouldn't see any accusing glares she might send his way. She didn't say anything, so he took that as his cue to continue, though he still didn't look at her. "I figured something bad must have happened for you to feel like killing yourself would solve everything."

He heard her shift slightly, and he took the chance to glance at her. She had scooted closer to the water's edge and had dipped her hands into the slightly frigid liquid. Unlike him, she was unfazed by the cold that the water produced.

"You're partially correct," she murmured, glimpsing at him from the corner of her black eyes. "Something bad did happen…"

Masaru shook his head at this. "Nothing is bad enough that you should feel compelled to take your own life," he whispered. He glanced down at his hands as they rested on his legs. "Trust me, I've had my share of bad experiences. Nothing is so bad that you should feel that detached from the world…"

"But it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for something I'd done…" the blue-haired girl croaked out, her voice suddenly breaking. Masaru turned to her in alarm to see tears streaming down her soft face. She clapped her hands to cover her cheeks and eyes in what appeared to be shame, and she began to sob hysterically into her palms.

A deep frown etched across the boy's face as he awkwardly began to rub his hand across her back in comfort. "It's… okay... We all make mistakes…"

The mysterious girl shot up so quickly that Masaru almost fell off his perch in surprise. She paid no mind to that as she glared daggers at him, liquid sadness still leaking from her charcoal orbs. "My family and friends are dead because of a stupid decision I made!"

The Inoue's green eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly. His still outstretched hand slowly retreated in fear. This girl was the murderess of her own family and friends?

No…

She had said a decision she had made caused their deaths. That couldn't mean she actually committed the crime, right?

He looked up at her as she towered over his still seated form. Gradually picking himself up from his position, Masaru looked at her, a question hidden in his emerald orbs. "Their blood is really on your hands?"

The previous kunoichi turned away from him, her azure hair swishing as she did so. "It's my fault they're gone…" Her legs collapsed from under her, and she fell to the ground to land in a sitting position, her calves tucked beneath her body. "I don't deserve to live after what I've done…"

For some unknown reason that Masaru couldn't fathom in that moment, he was angry at her last statement. He abruptly grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to stand so that she was facing him. Her stature was probably at least six inches shorter than his own, and he towered over her menacingly. He made sure that his gaze was firm enough so that she would listen to what he had to say.

"That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard anyone ever say," he growled out to her. He felt an inner sense of triumph when she blinked in surprise at his intimidating tone. "I don't care what you've done. No one should ever have the gall to say that they don't deserve to live."

Masaru suddenly backed away and stripped away his black long-sleeved shirt. The cerulean-haired girl was about to question what he was doing when her coal eyes finally landed on the sculpted tone of his upper body. But it wasn't the muscles that had captured her eyes.

It was the scars that plagued his body.

The fifteen-year-old watched as her eyes looked over the overwhelming number of different-colored marks on his chest and neck, and then he turned around to show the aftereffects of his whippings that were spread across his back. Slashes crossed over one another in a sickening manner.

After only a few more seconds, he tugged his shirt back over his head, and once it was securely on, he glared at her with intense jade eyes. "I'm the abused child of two overly proud shinobi of the Waterfall Village. I've been both physically and mentally beaten. I've gone to bed bloodied and bruised for as long as I can remember. I've been told that I am a worthless good-for-nothing. So if my own parents constantly told me that I was useless, tell me something. Why don't I think I am?"

The mysterious ex-kunoichi glanced around nervously, trying to look at everything except the boy's questioning orbs. Still looking away, she whispered, "How do you know you're not?"

Instead of taking it as an insult, Masaru simply shrugged. "I saved a life today," he replied easily. "I don't think that makes me worthless. And I especially don't think you're worthless either. Everyone has something to live for. You just have to find it."

The girl bit her lip thoughtfully, silently mulling over his words. She sent him brief and nervous glances, almost afraid to ask him her inquiry. "And what… what is it that you have to live for now?"

The Inoue shrugged again as he ran his hand through his spiky mane. "It used to be making my parents proud of me, but that kind of went down the drain when I ran away…"

"Then I don't think you should be preaching to me about me finding my own purpose," she suddenly interrupted harshly.

Masaru narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. He contemplated her words and realized that there was some truth to them, so he slowly released his intense gaze. With a nod of his head, he murmured, "I'll give you that one. But how about this then?" She looked up to him on cue, and he continued. "You're a mentally unstable wreck right now, so my purpose for the time being will be to watch over you."

"I don't need you to babysit me," she countered childishly, which made the elder teen internally snicker.

"Right…" he drawled out sarcastically. "Because I am that stupid enough to leave you alone so you can jump off that cliff again."

"Maybe you should just leave me alone!" the girl shouted angrily. Her frustration seemed to boil when she saw the amused smile on the older adolescent's face. "I didn't ask you to get involved in my life!"

"You didn't have to," Masaru shot back as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm choosing to butt in."

Her dark eyes squinted at him ferociously as she mimicked his movement to cross her arms over her chest. "So let's say you choose to follow me. What if I decide to do horrible things? You're going to let me?"

This caused a frown to appear on his face, and he steadily uncrossed his arms to let them plant themselves on his hips. He looked away in deliberation. "I would rather make sure you didn't hurt yourself again. Suicide is more disgraceful than any other crime I could think of… It would pain me to think I let you kill yourself if I left you alone now…"

His last statement made her release her crossed arms, and they fell dejectedly to her sides. Her hands helplessly gestured out to him as she tried to form words. "Why do you care so much?"

Masaru's frown was still etched across his face, though it deepened as an immense yet familiar sadness overwhelmed him. His emerald eyes fell to land on the gravelly ground beneath his feet as he mumbled, "Because no one should ever feel like they have nowhere they belong, and no one should ever feel like no one cares about them…"

The girl blinked in surprise at his deep reflections, her mouth opening and closing pathetically as words came at a loss for her. "What… What was your name?"

"Masaru Inoue," he responded, lifting his gaze to lock eyes with her. "And you?"

"Kasumi…" she replied. "Kasumi Mayonaka."

* * *

The seven other members of the Original Nine looked to their temporary captain in what could only be shock. Nervous and anxious glimpses were sent to one another, for no one wanted to break the tense silence that had fallen once the tale had been told. Behind them, the golden sun was slowly peeking over the azure water, blending oranges and yellows with the cerulean color of the sea. Unbeknownst to them, the other members of the crew were resting in the place where their true captain and first mate had officially met. _The Midnight Thief_ rocked gently in place as the wind and ocean worked together to move the anchored ship ever so slightly.

"I can't believe it," Tsubame uttered to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the railing in astonishment.

"So…" Akira mumbled quietly, still trying to comprehend everything, "the reason you became Captain Mayonaka's first mate was because…"

Masaru nodded, already knowing where her train of thought was going. "Because she needed someone to make sure she didn't fall back into instability. Each of you knows how she feels about losing her family and friends because of a mistake she made. That ultimately threw her into a mental unsteadiness. I wasn't prepared to just leave her in that state, so I followed her to make sure she could take care of herself…"

"Well, she's not suicidal anymore," Hayashi concluded with a slight scoff. He frowned as a sudden worrying thought struck him. "Is she?"

The captain shook his head. "No. Or at least not that I'm aware of. I believe she's locked those thoughts away just enough that it doesn't haunt her to the extreme anymore."

"So then why are you still here?" Kaito asked suspiciously. The others turned to look at him, surprised at the accusing tone in his voice. "If you only wanted to make sure that she'd be alright on her own, why did you decide to stick around?"

"Oh!" Rikuto asked, snapping his fingers excitedly as he thought of something. "Is it because you have secretly fallen in love with her after all this time?"

Despite himself, Masaru couldn't help the light pink blush that dusted itself across his cheeks. The question mixed with his reaction brought along a few snickers amongst the group. Luckily, the azure-haired woman came to his rescue, in spite of their previous spout in which she had insulted him about his past, and slapped the red-haired boy in the back of the head. "Get your mind out of the gutter, idiot," she hissed.

The scarf-wearing pirate coughed nervously into his fist to regain his composure, and he sighed as he remembered the original question asked of him. "I'm here because of the same reason you all are here."

That response brought on several different reactions from his crewmates. Some gave him confused expressions while others began to murmur amongst themselves, trying to understand the reply he had given.

"It's the anger," Masaru finally said, catching everyone's attention once again. "It's the contempt for life that each of us holds… That's why we're here. You can narrow it down to your own personal ideas. Maybe you're trying to escape something; maybe you're trying to extract your rage on something else; maybe you're just trying to stop feeling so much damn pain…"

He casted his jade eyes away from his comrades to look over the edge of the ship and into the ocean water. He could faintly see his blurred reflection in the shadowy sea, and he briefly wondered just what he had hoped to find by looking there in the first place.

"But it always comes back to anger," the male continued. "It's the penned up frustration for life's cruelty that keeps us here. Is it demented? It definitely is, I'm man enough to admit that. But I have yet to find any other place where I can say what I feel and not feel threatened."

"And we allow Kasumi to lead us because she understands pain and anger better than anyone else we know," Osamu added. He closed his onyx eyes and sighed deeply.

The eight pirates glanced around at each other, and for the first time in a long while, their pride simmered down several notches. Each person steadily began to realize just what brought them here in the first place and why they stayed there. None of them were able to deny that Masaru and Osamu were right.

"So…" the stone-colored-eyed Kaito murmured, breaking the intense quietness, "you have stayed as Kasumi's first mate because she needs someone to rely on…" Everyone turned to see his calculating gaze eyeing their captain shrewdly. Masaru was slightly worried that he would unleash his stoic and accusing thoughts on him again, just as he did before. But the Blue Pirate chief was proved false when the older man smirked. "Perhaps you have proved your worth then."

The captain stared at him with a perceptive expression before he, too, let a smirk grace his lips. "Well of course."

"Alright, alright, so we learned some secrets, and we shared our feelings," Tsubame interrupted, a growing irritation emerging in her tone. "That doesn't shroud the fact that we're unhappy with your decision to retreat. That fight was a result of your misjudgment, Masaru."

This brought a grimace to replace the smile on the captain's face. "I'm aware."

"And what do you intend on doing about it?" Hayashi asked reproachfully.

"We know now that you are a good first mate," Akira commented, casting an eager glance toward the boy. "So now all we need is for you to find a way to be a good captain."

Masaru bit his lip in thought, reflecting on his crewmates' words. Even though they may not say it in the kindest of ways, they just wanted things to be better. After the tale he had shared about how he and Kasumi had met and the circumstances that came in both preceding and following that particular event, the bridge of trust that had been initially formed upon the creation of the Original Nine was strengthening. That was all he could truly ask for at this point.

"I suppose… that a good way to start… is to reorganize ourselves so that we can function without Kasumi," Masaru suggested, rubbing the back of his spiky dark hair nervously. "We did somewhat decide that we can't work without her here. We'll need to change that."

"So you're suggesting a change for the crew then?" Osamu inquired with a quirked eyebrow, a knowing smirk appearing on his face.

The scarf-wearing missing-nin casually crossed his arms over his chest, and his jade-colored eyes lingered to the horizon. The sun had risen just enough so that its rounded bottom lightly touched the water in the distance. The golden color that had mixed with the painted blue of the ocean receded slowly as the large orange orb ascended higher into the sky. Masaru stared intently at the scene for a moment, observing the yellow and red colors disappearing from the thick cobalt sea. He absentmindedly wandered away from the group to stand on the other side of the ship to be as close to the sun as the boat would allow. He leaned forward onto his forearms as they rested on the dark blue wooden railing.

The commander remained mesmerized by the beauty that the sun and the ocean created, and he almost forgot that his first mate had asked a question. Blinking in surprise, he turned his head, glancing out of the corner of his eyes at his teammates.

With a nod of his head, a light smile fell upon his lips. "Yes," he responded in answer to the white-haired male's query. "The sun is rising now, changing into the new day. I think we should do the same and begin our own reformation. Let's get to it."

Smiles and nods broke out among the group in that moment. Masaru watched as they all left the ship to retrieve the underling crew members from their slumber. In only seconds, he was alone on the boat to await the return of the remaining Blue Pirates.

Pursing his lips, he grabbed one last meaningful glimpse of the sun hovering over the water. The blue sky was now tearing away from the black cover of the night sky, creating a light azure color to match that of the sea.

A sudden memory came rushing back to his mind in that instant, making him blink in astonishment. Only a few days before, Osamu had been telling him of the beauty of sunrise…

"_The ocean and sky, huh?"_ Masaru thought to himself with a chuckle, silently praising his first mate for being a cunning manipulator with metaphors. _"How fitting…I always figured we had our differences… I guess we do have some similarities as well, Kasumi…" _


	12. You Can't Take Me

**Hi my faithful readers! Here's the latest update for Pirates of the Mist! I hope you like it!**

**You Can't Take Me from Dreamworks' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron**

* * *

With a deep heavy sigh, Tsunade rubbed a manicured hand to her head, massaging her temple. Her paining migraine had erupted hours ago, and no matter how roughly or gently she stroked her thudding head, the ache would not go away. The incessant pounding in her head felt as if a miniscule person was bouncing a ball off the inside of her forehead.

She was still dressed in her night clothes, which consisted of merely a thin white nightgown. With such a hasty beckoning from the middle of the evening, she had had no chance to don a new set of clothes except to throw on her normal green sweater atop her gown. Her pale blonde hair tumbled past her shoulders in an untidy yellow heap, its normal straightness now a frizzy and tousled mess. Even her signature red high heels were exchanged for a pair of fluffy white slippers.

Her hazel eyes drooped slightly, whether out of boredom or exhaustion, she could not tell. Directly after that thought, a yawn broke from her not yet ruby lips, making her think it was mostly from the latter.

With a few blinks of her eyes, Tsunade finally came to, and she realized that the two annoyances that had forced her from her cozy bed and comfortable home had finally finished complaining.

"It's about time you old farts stopped talking," the busty woman huffed as she attempted to sit up straight on the couch. The cushioned seat only made her remember how tired she was, and she slumped back into the pillows behind her, crossing her arms over her heavy chest.

The old man sitting in front of her on her left shot the Sannin a disapproving gaze over his spectacles. "Is that really all you have to say?" Homura Mitokado asked harshly.

Tsunade simply rolled her eyes at him. Even though every fiber of her being was eager to lash out in response to his reprimanding tone, she wasn't sure she had it in her to fight through her tiredness. "You two have been talking for hours straight. What the hell did you expect me to say?"

Beside the aging male sat the equally old woman who was once his teammate. The elder woman of the group squinted through her wrinkles to cast her scolding stare upon the Hokage. "We want you to say that you'll finally understand the severity of this situation and stop dawdling like you have been!" Koharu Utatane countered.

Uncrossing her arms and narrowing her light brown eyes, Tsunade placed her hands beside her on the cushions, looking strikingly similar to a lioness prepared to pounce upon her prey. "I think you both should shut your yaps and let me do my job my way."

"We're your advisors," the man reminded. "And for good reason. You are obviously not noticing just how much danger there is by keeping her alive."

The old woman added, just before the Sannin could interrupt, "Or rather, you have been turning a blind eye to it all."

"I have not," Tsunade replied stubbornly, her pink lips pouting slightly.

"The Blue Tiger of the Mist cannot be held in this village any longer," Koharu said.

"At least, not alive, anyway," Homura added.

The blonde woman's eyebrows contracted together as her anger attempted to pour out of her like a wave. After moments of silence and steadying breaths, she finally found it in herself to speak while keeping her voice even. "First of all, we will not refer to her by her criminal name. You old bats keep preaching about how dangerous she is, but you're only pumping up her dangerous image by not saying her name. She is Kasumi Mayonaka."

Simultaneous grunts of displeasure and irritation sounded from the senior shinobi. "Stop changing the subject," the female of the pair grumbled as she shoved her wrinkled hands into the flowing sleeves of her bland kimono.

Tsunade eyed the elderly duo in front of her, and for the first time in the three hours she had been sitting with them, she noticed that the annoying elders had taken the liberty to properly dress for this impromptu meeting that started in the middle of the night. Both were donning their normal pale robes, prepared for the upcoming day. The sun was just now peeking through the windows of the room, allowing golden rays to filter through the glass panes and blind the village leader. Nighttime was now over, and so was any chance of crawling back into bed.

The fact that she was still only in her nightclothes while the sun was flaunting its light on her to remind her that it was morning seemed to spike Tsunade's anger only further. "I refuse to agree to what you're telling me."

"Then you risk the safety of Konoha," the glasses-wearing man responded immediately, as if he was prepared for that precise answer.

"You really must have no faith in our ninja then," the Fifth jeered with a dry chuckle.

Koharu scoffed at this. "You expect us to believe that this little 'reformation' exercise you invented is actually working? Have you forgotten that in the time that you have spent wasting our shinobi forces on this ludicrous idea, Kasumi has attacked our ninja and our civilians and has attempted an escape three times already?"

"And each time she has tried something," Tsunade shot back instantly, "our ninja have kept her in check. Do not forget that."

Once again, silence fell upon the group. The two elderly advisors set their harsh stares upon the middle-aged woman, and she only narrowed her eyes even more defiantly in response.

The graying lady lifted her head up a fraction, her well done yet stiff hair barely moving as she turned her face. "Despite the valiant efforts of the children you have placed to guard Kasumi during the day, we cannot overlook the dangers she brings any longer. She is a hazard to this village, and because of this, she must be executed."

"You refuse to give her any chance!" Tsunade exclaimed in outrage.

"She has had far more chances than we have ever given to criminals who have done even less than her," Homura replied.

Even though the anger and resentment she felt toward her advisors filled every part of her body, Tsunade couldn't help but wince at the man's words. Execution was the solution she had hoped to avoid not only for the infamous Blue Tiger of the Mist, but for all criminals as well. She saw potential for change in Kasumi Mayonaka, even if it was only a small fraction.

However, even the Fifth Hokage could no longer continue to ignore everything the Leaf prisoner had done. Perhaps it was time to acknowledge the crimes that Kasumi had committed both outside and inside Konohagakure.

"Fine," Tsunade nodded.

* * *

A sore yet incessant aching began to seep into her limbs and joints. A while ago, the pain had felt somewhat decent, similar to stretching overworked or underused muscles of the body. But now, after over three hours, Kasumi was beginning to lose all feeling in her arms and legs.

After Kakashi had found her wandering the village the night before, he had alerted the ANBU Black Ops, the Hokage, and the village advisors. Almost immediately after arriving back in the prison, her guards had placed her in a new confinement area, where there could be nothing near her that was considered a luxury. She had no bed, and her jail door was a large and thick metal rectangle with a very small window that was probably only the size of her face. In addition to the chakra bracelets she was already wearing, she had been chained to the wall so that her arms and legs were pulled away from her body.

Not being able to relax her limbs was starting to take its toll now. Her head lolled around between her shoulders, trying to find a comfortable spot. The stiffness in her neck quickly transformed into a deep shooting pain that forced her to let her head hang forward. Coal pearls stared down at the cold stone ground, blinking abnormally slow from fatigue. Staying up all night and being straddled into an uncomfortable position for hours had left the prisoner exhausted and tired.

Yet, she could not bring herself to sleep. Her mind was too far away from the idea of sleep to even consider taking a quick nap. Memories of her field trip last night circled in her mind, which in turn, brought about the unwanted and buried images of her past. The most vivid remembrances were crimson blood and heart-wrenching screams of pain.

Despite the pain and tiredness she felt, Kasumi found enough energy to cringe and shiver at the echoes of her past.

"_So much… blood… and screaming… So many cries… from all that pain…"_

Her midnight black eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to block out the scene of red liquid splattering onto her clothes. If her wrists had not been bound by the iron shackles, she would have thrown her hands over her ears to keep out the shrill shrieks that rang in her brain. But closing off her senses did little to stop the flooding memories, and she felt herself drowning in it all.

It had been her family and friends' blood that had stained her clothes, and it had been their cries of pain that echoed in her ears. It had all happened on that awful day. It used to feel like centuries ago. Now, after seeing those files in the Hokage's office, it felt like everything had happened only yesterday.

"_Maybe it wasn't a good idea to go into her office…"_ Kasumi thought to herself. _"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come to this village in the first place…"_

With her charcoal-colored eyes turned toward the ground, she caught glimpses of her appearance. The prison had given her no luxury to bathe or dress in a separate set of clothes. Her shirt and pants were muddied and even torn in some places. She could feel the dirt and sweat coating her cerulean hair as it clung to her clammy face. Even her gloves appeared worn out around her knuckles and wrist.

How fitting, it seemed, that her unkempt appearance mirrored the conflicting feelings she felt inside.

Out of nowhere, the clicking of heels rebounding off the tiled ground echoed down the hall of cells. There was no chorus of groans and moans to mingle with the tapping of the shoes; the Blue Tiger of the Mist had been issued a solitary hall, where she would be cut off from human contact except for visitors.

With great effort, Kasumi lifted her head to look towards the small window in the door. She saw a flash of yellow through the barred opening just as the metal door swung open to reveal the Hokage, in all her fierce and superior glory.

"Lady Hokage," the pirate said quietly with a polite yet fake smile upon her facial features. Her voice came out hoarse and scratchy from nonuse and not being fed. Though the latter really did not matter much; the girl knew that she would not find the ability to eat anyway. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tsunade stared with firm hazel eyes at the chained teenager, crossing her arms over her large bosom. Even with her body acting so sluggishly, Kasumi's keen and observant senses did not fail her. The pirate captain noticed just how hesitantly the elder woman moved, how she chose not to speak so quickly and how every movement she made just seemed to be an effort to stall for time.

"I have interesting news, Kasumi," the Fifth finally said as she uncrossed her arms to lock hands behind her back. Her face remained impassive.

The blue-haired girl's eyebrows contracted in confusion. "What is it?"

"Your reformation training has come to an end…" Tsunade lingered on the ending of her sentence. She looked as if she wanted to add more but couldn't form the words to do so.

Understanding sprinkled over the pirate's face as she nodded in comprehension. The Hokage didn't need to say anything more for her to know what was coming next. "I'm going to be executed, aren't I?"

The blonde woman blinked multiple times in surprise. "How did you know?"

Kasumi attempted to shrug, though it only made her shoulders ache from the chains that tied her to the cold rocky wall behind her. "I guess I can't blame you for sentencing me to death. You're doing what you need to do as Hokage."

The Slug Princess's eyes narrowed suspiciously as her manicured hands dug into her hips. "You seem oddly content with the plans for your execution."

"Despite what you tend to believe, Lady Hokage," the pirate sneered halfheartedly, "I am a very understanding person."

"Even when the subject is of your death?"

Tsunade's light brown eyes burned into the Blue Tiger's face, trying to dig for some kind of hidden secret or unknown thoughts that explained the young girl's strange attitude. The missing-nin kept her own coal orbs locked on the Hokage's before closing them and letting her head loll back to face the ground.

"When?" was all the teenager uttered.

The busty woman sighed, "Three days."

Kasumi let out a sarcastic laugh at this, though she did not look up to the Sannin. "So what do I do until then? I'm just supposed to stay here, chained to this rock of a wall? No going outside or even getting a breath of fresh air until you decide to publicly kill me?"

The challenging words seemed to fit the pirate's normal demeanor: sarcastic and offensive. It was enough to force Tsunade into her usual hot-tempered personality, and she glared at the adolescent. "You should have seen this coming. After all you've done, you should not be surprised with this arrangement."

"Whatever," the girl scoffed, turning her head to the side. Her azure hair curtained over her face, shielding her features from the viewing eyes of the village leader.

After one last fleeting glance, the Hokage turned away, locking the cell behind her as she walked down the hall.

Kasumi let out a breath of relief; thankfully, her small rant had been enough to get the woman to leave her alone. She didn't want Lady Tsunade to continue to question her about her feelings toward her execution. Similar to everyone who lived the life of a shinobi, death was not a stranger to her. But unlike most people, she had once thought of death as a welcoming friend.

Maybe she still did.

* * *

"Do we all understand?" Masaru's emerald gaze swept over his comrades as they all looked upwards toward him. He was standing at the wheel, staring down at his crew as they stood in seven rows of four. Nods of confirmation to his question went around the group of pirates, and the captain smiled in approval.

It had only taken the morning to arrange the Blue Pirates into suitable squads. The members of the Original Nine acted as the team leaders, and three other pirates were placed in the squad according to ability and talent. Kasumi had always been skilled in creating plans that centered on her crew's actions. Get in, strike, get out; that was what the Blue Tiger of the Mist was known for, that was how she operated.

However, that strategy did not work as well for her first mate. That much was proven when they entered their first real battle, against the Kiri shinobi. Masaru had had no control of what was happening, and that had been his flaw, he now realized.

This change he had administered for the pirates would be similar to the shinobi system of battle: separating each soldier into a group based on skill. It may seem farfetched in the way of the pirates, and it may go against a few of Kasumi's conducts, but as long as he was in charge, he was going to do whatever it took to make sure the Blue Pirates did not lose another battle.

Masaru looked up from the crew to look out into the endless blue sea. Settled just on the edge of the cerulean horizon was a little beige spot, signifying a little island. Even from the far distance, the pirate captain could see a gray path that connected the island and the mainland, which was now also opening up into view.

The Land of Waves looked just as innocent as when they had first attacked it approximately a week before. The scarf-wearing male smirked. It was time to finish the job that Kasumi did not complete before she left: get a ship and destroy everything that the village had left.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

Nostrils flaring and eyes bulging from their sockets, Naruto stared incredulously at the Godaime Hokage. With his palms facing upward and his arms were outstretched in confusion, the boy silently pleaded for the village leader to explain what her announcement really meant. Because there was no way what she had said could be true.

A few members of his age group shot him dirty glares, obviously peeved at his loud outburst. The others were staring at Tsunade with similar bewilderment, curious and puzzled about the news. Even the jounin leaders of the four squads were surprised, though they stood off to the side, only showing their shock by widening their eyes and furrowing their brows.

The female Sannin's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the unnecessary loudness from the whiskered child. After a few moments of silence and taking some much needed cleansing breaths, Tsunade looked up to the four shinobi teams.

"The reformation mission pertaining to Kasumi Mayonaka is hereby dismissed," the blonde woman said for the second time, repeating herself for the blue-eyed male's benefit. The verbatim repetition only seemed to anger the Jinchuuriki further.

"But why?" Naruto exclaimed.

"That doesn't really concern any of you," Konoha's chief shot back sharply.

A slight cough interrupted the woman, and she redirected her irritation to turn towards the silver-haired man hiding behind his little orange book. Seeing the inappropriate novel that her old teammate had written only seemed to force her anger to a new level, and her honey eyes narrowed threateningly towards the masked jounin.

With a sigh, Kakashi removed the book from sight back into its designated pouch. His exposed eye crinkled in contemplation as he tried to express his thoughts into words. Scratching the back of his oddly colored hair, he said, "We were told that this mission would take a couple weeks as a minimum. And I think it's fairly safe to say that the other jounin and I have noticed some heart in Kasumi. It's as you said when assigning the mission: she has potential."

Tsunade's annoyance deflated rapidly at his words, and she closed her eyes as she sighed. "I know what I said… However, her dangerous actions outweigh the progress she has made. The attacks and escapes are beginning to add up, and it is no longer safe to keep her around."

Slouched lazily as he stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow at the ending of the Hokage's sentence. "Around? What does that mean? Aren't you just going to keep her in a cell?" he inquired skeptically.

After a moment's hesitation, the old woman shook her head. "Her execution is in three days."

Instantly, surprised gasps involuntarily rose from the lips of almost each teenager. The team leaders simply frowned.

"Why? What happened?" Sakura asked, furrowing her pink brows in bewilderment.

"The attempted attacks and escapes are beginning to add up," Tsunade answered as she intertwined her hands behind her back. "On top of her documented crimes as a missing-nin, it has been decided that there will be a public execution for her."

"But that's not fair!" Naruto shouted, throwing both arms roughly to the sides in evident frustration.

The Hokage quirked a thin eyebrow at this, tilting her head to the side as she observed the younger blonde. "The felonies she has committed are countless, Naruto. Technically, she should have been executed upon capture. But she has abused the chances I have given her, and this is the price that must be paid."

This did little to satisfy the orange-clad boy's anger. "But she can change! I know she can! She's only gone through four reformation sessions; she needs more time!"

"Time is not something we can afford to give her anymore, Naruto," the Sannin snapped instantly. The whiskered male did not flinch at her retort, but she noticed a few of the other teenagers wince at her sharp tone. With a sigh, Tsunade added, in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry, Naruto. This is what must happen."

"I don't believe this," Naruto murmured as he ran his tanned hands through his spiky hair. "I thought you believed in second chances, Granny!"

There was a tense moment of strenuous silence as the Leaf's Jinchuuriki and Fifth Hokage stared each other. Their gazes remained locked, with blue eyes staring fiercely at the stern and unyielding honey pools.

"They aren't considered second chances when you have been given several already," the old woman said. Despite her young looks, her words and voice came out as if she was speaking as the older lady she was. This seemed to silence the angry teen at long last, and he shrunk back into the group, looking just as puzzled and morbid as his comrades. Tsunade eyed them all with a curious glance. "Have you all already grown fond of Kasumi? If I heard correctly, she did attack some of you. With murderous intent, as I read in the report."

A couple of the chuunin, such as Chouji and Hinata, looked away in slight embarrassment. Kiba huffed, looking up to the sky as if he didn't care about any of it. Neji crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes in an attempt to avoid the matter. The Sannin watched nearly all the teens show signs of either embarrassment or attempt to appear as if they didn't care. Hazel eyes blinked in surprise as she watched them all. It appears that they really did take a liking to Kasumi, though she didn't understand what possessed them to care for her fate.

With a shrug and an exhale, the Godaime said, "I will allow visits to Kasumi's cell until the day of the execution, but that is all I can give." And with that, she turned away to walk back to her office.

* * *

Chaos rained down upon the already destroyed village. The Blue Pirates, divided into their four-man cells, brought havoc among the small town in the Land of Waves, adding salt into the wound. Buildings that were being rebuilt were brought down mercilessly, and people who had returned to the village hurried away as fast as they had come.

From his perch in the crow's nest of _The Midnight Thief_, Masaru crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the bloodshed. A small smirk spread across his face as he took in the scene of the crew mutilating what was left of the town.

Now this was what he wanted to see: the pirates working together in sync.

Even as seven different groups, they acted as a single unit. They were a harmonious orchestra of destruction, bringing down their heartless fury upon the civilians. The captain's smirk grew into a smile of triumph; Kasumi would be pleased to see her crew so successful.

All he needed now was to wait for the opportune moment to unleash the final blow that would bring the village in the Land of Waves to its knees.

Masaru was stirred from his reverie by the sound of yelling. Though there was plenty of screaming from the town in which the slaughter occurred, this voice was surprisingly close to the captain's spot on the ship. Looking down from his perch at the top of the mast, he saw a familiar face glaring at him from the dock.

Wind rustled around the temporary captain as he chuckled, and he leaped from his position to let the chakra-enhanced breeze carry him to the port. Black boots thudded against the wooden dock as Masaru landed and stalked towards the young boy.

With angry and determined eyes, Inari pointed an accusing finger at the Blue Pirate leader. "You punks should get out of here now!"

A grin plastered itself across the raven-haired man's face. He completely ignored the preteen's words as he spoke. "You know, kid, I wasn't really planning on taking any hostages until later on, but for you to hand yourself over is really convenient for me."

"If you continue to hurt this village, more Leaf shinobi will come to kick you out!" Inari shouted defiantly.

The younger boy did not even have time to blink before the seadog reacted with speed that could match lightning. Before Inari could register what was happening, the scarf-wearing man was clutching his shirt collar, dangling him over the blood-stained water. Inari reflexively grabbed hold of the material of the green-eyed male's black shirt, fixing a dark glare of hatred on the pirate.

"That's a lot of trash talking coming from a little brat," Masaru mused, holding his arm out a little bit straighter so that the child's legs were not close enough to kick him.

"Your real captain is in Konoha!" the Wave citizen yelled, struggling against the tight grip that held him. "And I bet she's gonna die soon, if she isn't dead already!"

"Oh?" Masaru asked in amusement, tilting his head to the side in mock wonder. "Why do you say that?"

The boy thrashed about, trying to land a kick against the older male. He only ended up wriggling out of his captor's grasp a bit, dipping closer to the water that was mixed with his fellow villagers' blood. "She's evil! The Leaf Village wouldn't want to keep her alive forever!"

"You don't know anything," the nineteen-year-old huffed as his grip on the boy's shirt began to slacken.

Inari squirmed, eyeing the bloodied bay with a grimace. His worried gaze moved back to the missing-nin, and he glared at the criminal, almost as if renewed determination began flooding through him. "If Konoha doesn't kill her, then those bounty hunters I saw will!"

This immediately caught Masaru's attention. Constricting his clasp on the boy's shirt, he quickly pulled him away from hanging over the edge of the dock. A look of relief flashed across Inari's face just as the pirate leader threw him to the wooden floor. The wind was knocked out of the preteen's lungs from the sudden impact, and just as he was about to lean up to catch his breath, the hard and heavy weight of a boot roughly pushed him back down. The boy inwardly moaned as his head began to throb from smashing against the ground a second time.

"What bounty hunters?" the ex-Waterfall inhabitant growled as he leaned closer towards the younger male's face, his spiky black locks falling to dangle a few inches above his captive's face.

Inari blinked in surprise before he stared fiercely at the elder boy. "I won't tell you anything until you promise to leave."

"It doesn't really work that way, kid," Masaru snarled as his hand became engulfed in an unnaturally sharp silvery wind. The razor edge came to rest at the base of Inari's throat, drawing several trickles of blood from his neck. "Now tell me what you know."

"I'm not saying anything until you get your pack of monkeys outta here!" the brown-haired child countered back stubbornly.

At this particular insult, the captain let loose a frustrated sigh. "Look, kid, stop being selfish." Inari looked befuddled by this and was about to interrupt, but the scarf-donning pirate continued to speak. "You've got a lot of spunk trying to play hero here. It's almost admirable. But if I remember correctly, you have your mother and grandfather watching over you, right? You might want to lay off the heroic attitude and think about the fact that I have nearly thirty pirates in your village. If your family isn't dead yet, they will be soon." Green eyes sparkled triumphantly as the captive gulped nervously, taking in his truthful words. "I have no problem with cutting your head off right now, and you're not really in any position to be making deals with me."

Dark eyes sullenly closed shut. He had tried so hard to be brave, to be a hero. But if his family was being threatened, he needed to protect them. A look of pain flashed across his face before he slowly looked up to his captor. "A couple days ago, two men came and were asking about the Blue Pirates. They were really happy when I told them that the Blue Tiger of the Mist was captured by Konohagakure. When they left, I figured they were bounty hunters looking for some heads to turn in for money."

Masaru's emerald eyes narrowed suspiciously as he glanced over the boy on the ground, probing him to see if he was lying. He couldn't detect any hints of deceit, so he decided to trust the younger male's words. "What did these guys look like?"

Inari contemplated rebelling again, but the razor-like wind was still held firmly in place against his neck. He knew he had no chance of escaping unless he gave the pirate captain what he wanted. "One was hooded up, and he didn't say anything, so I don't know about him. But the other one was really annoying because he kept asking questions. He had round glasses and gray hair pulled into a ponytail. Kinda creepy and sneaky."

Slender black eyebrows pulled together in confusion before suddenly shooting straight up, nearly disappearing into the hairline. "Shit…"

Inari's own chestnut-colored brows furrowed as he stared at the surprisingly frightened expression of the seadog. Before he could even comprehend why the criminal looked so scared, the man was running, straight for the ship. Blinking dazedly in shock, the boy scrambled to his feet into a standing position just in time to see the raven-haired missing-nin raising his arm straight into the air. A silver tornado warped from the thin atmosphere, whipping violently in a matter of seconds. The wind howled as it whirled around into a vicious cyclone, whistling and screeching like the sounds of dying soldiers on a battlefield.

Dark eyes widening fearfully, Inari bolted around, heading towards the village. However, just as he turned around, he saw the vast number of pirate members running towards him. He yelped in surprise and ducked behind a stack of moldy barrels at the edge of the dock that were usually used for fishing. The smell made him choke and gag, but it provided a sufficient hiding place as the Blue Pirates dashed past him and boarded the ship.

Inari's eyes blinked in confusion and surprise as he saw _The Midnight Thief_ suddenly sail away. The tornado that had appeared so quickly was now gone. The brown-haired boy now only realized that what he thought was an attack was the signal to gather the crew to leave. Though why they left so abruptly and unexpectedly, he wasn't sure.

He turned back to see that the village was in ruins again, just as it had been almost a week ago, when the Blue Pirates had come the first time. Bodies were strewn across the dirt paths, and buildings had collapsed in on themselves. Frustrated and angry, Inari threw his arms to his sides in dissatisfaction; those pirates destroyed everything again.

Meanwhile, upon the midnight blue vessel, Masaru punched the mast in frustration. Anger seethed from his pores, and his teeth grinded together like an animal baring its fangs. His crewmates were circled around him, watching their leader unleash his growing rage. No one could understand why he was upset or why he hadn't let them finish the job they were going to complete.

The members of the Original Nine seemed to be the only ones who dared to approach their captain. His body convulsed with uncontrollable shakes and shivers, and only when Osamu placed a comforting hand on his shoulder did he freeze.

"What happened?" the white-haired male asked.

Masaru's body began to quiver again, and his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. "He knows where Kasumi is."

"He?" Akira asked uncertainly in puzzlement.

"You don't mean… him… right?" Rikuto said, his voice coming out uneven from the nerves that now rose.

The captain slowly nodded, lifting his gaze to meet the eyes of his friends before turning to look at the rest of the crew. "Orochimaru found Kasumi, and he's after her."

"What do we do?" Tsubame asked.

Surprised gasps and shouts of exclamation continued to go around the ship as the news of the serpent Sannin's involvement traveled through the crowd. Masaru ignored the panicked expressions and nervous exchanges, for he knew that if he couldn't find it in himself to compose the crew down, then there was no way he would be able to keep himself calm. Because for all they knew, he could have already found her, and she could be…

"We change our course to Konohagakure."

* * *

"Naruto, I don't think this will work," Sakura said, her pink eyebrow twitching as she watched her teammate march down the hallway with determined strides. He was walking a few feet in front of her, and even though she couldn't see his face, she knew his azure eyes were set with purpose and a bright grin was etched across his facial features.

The two members of Team Kakashi were following an ANBU down an isolated hallway in the prison. The walls were a cemented gray, smooth yet icy cold. The air was stagnant with the lack of windows, and the entire essence of the dismal and eerie place sent shivers down the pinkette's back.

A lone iron door stood at the end of the corridor, the barred window looking into only darkness. The ANBU moved to the door and stuck his masked head inside. The two young shinobi stared in puzzlement when they then heard him talking.

"I can only allow two visitors at a time, and I have a couple more who want to see the prisoner. Are you almost done?" the man's heavy and deep voice said into the cell.

"Y-Yes, only a few more moments," a shy murmur replied.

Sakura blinked in surprise, cocking her head to the side as she considered the almost inaudible voice. "Hinata's here?"

"Guess so," Naruto shrugged as the ANBU closed the door, indicating that the two would have to wait a few more minutes. Instantly perking up, the genin bolted towards the door and stuck an eager ear against the metal bars that made up the small window. "What are they talking about?"

The Haruno girl immediately punched the back of her comrade's head, sending him to the stoned floor. There was going to be a large bump there within seconds, but she didn't care as she glared at him with her stunning jade eyes. "Eavesdropping is rude!" she hissed.

The blonde, with his hands clutching the mountain that was forming from his yellow locks, sent a fearful look to the kunoichi. "I was just curious, Sakura!" he whined.

The red-clad girl huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door, almost as if to guard the cell's inhabitants so they could have their privacy. But that didn't stop her from accidentally listening into what the two girls were talking about.

"You've been here for fifteen minutes already," Kasumi's voice snapped harshly, "and all you've done is just stand there. You gonna say something or what?"

The pink-haired female winced at the sound of the unkind tone. She was considering marching in there to yell at the prisoner for being so cruel, but Hinata surprised her when she spoke in an even and confident voice.

"I never got the chance to thank you for what you did for me, K-Kasumi," the Hyuuga said. The smile was clear in her words as she spoke.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kasumi replied. Sakura was almost tempted to peer in to see if she could see truth or lies in her expression, but it was too dark to see that far into the cell anyway.

Hinata spoke again, though a hint of sadness could be heard this time. "Oh… well, you still really helped m-me… I try not to stutter as much… So thank you, K-Kasumi."

"Uh-huh," was the pirate's only reply.

A few moments of silence passed by, and the pattering of sandals against stone alerted the pinkette that the pale-eyed girl was about to exit. She quickly moved away from the door just as the Hyuuga heiress emerged. Hinata blinked her white orbs in mild surprise when she saw the other girl, and then she flushed a deep crimson color that both unsuited her and was familiar to her. She began to stammer unintelligible words when she laid eyes on the blond boy rubbing his head from the massive lump that his teammate had given him.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura could see Kasumi chained to the wall. Her head was hanging forward, her bright blue hair curtaining around her face so that it remained unseen. However, as Hinata's stutters grew worse as she stared at Naruto, the pirate whipped her head up to see what the commotion was. Her coal eyes narrowed skeptically as she watched this event transpire outside her prison room, and the medical ninja couldn't help but notice there was a bit of curiosity in the way she watched the shy kunoichi utter a quiet greeting to the whiskered male before quickly darting off.

With a sigh, Sakura dragged her teammate into the room while he still grumbled on about how his head was sore. Kasumi watched them with an impassive expression before she turned away to lean her head uncomfortably against her shoulder. "So what do you two want?" she asked.

"We…" the medic muttered as she cast a fleeting glance to her friend, "we came to visit you."

The other girl scoffed at this. "Why?" she asked incredulously.

Naruto finally seemed to realize that they were finally face-to-face with the Blue Tiger of the Mist, and he took a step forward, his face portraying the unwavering emotion he felt. "Because it's not fair that you're being executed!"

At this exclamation, the Blue Pirate leader opened one eye to gaze at the orange-clad boy. "I'm pretty sure that would be an issue to take up with your Hokage."

"Well, I did, and she didn't change her mind," the blond replied absentmindedly, still disappointed at the results of the argument he'd had with Tsunade.

Upon hearing the dissatisfied tone of the genin, the missing-nin opened both eyes and turned to look at him. Even in the darkness of the cell, it was easy to tell that her eyebrows were pulled together in skepticism. "I would think you'd be rejoicing for this. I clearly remember you calling me trash, a scumbag, and a horrible person. Do you actually feel sorry for me?" Her last statement was laced with sarcasm, a large giveaway that she was in disbelief.

"I just don't think you're as bad as you like everyone to believe," Naruto replied easily. Sakura sent him a wary look before glancing back to the chained girl; her face increased in caution almost immediately.

An emotionless mask fell upon Kasumi's face. She looked so uncomfortable, with her limbs pulled apart from her body so that she was shaped like a tired and weak starfish. Her coal eyes were widened in what could only be astonishment.

And then her head fell back as she burst out laughing. Her chortles came out like the cackling of a sinister witch who was hiding a secret. "What the hell would make you come to that conclusion?" she gasped out between fits of laughter. The girl nearly choked as she tried to sputter out words.

Even though Sakura was just as surprised as Kasumi was by her teammate's response, she chose not to say anything. Instead, she placed a steadying and calming hand on his shoulder, for he seemed highly insulted and angry at being laughed at. He did himself pull back at the feel of her touch on him, but his cerulean eyes were still focused with a bit of frustration.

"You didn't hurt me when you had the chance to," the Jinchuuriki said.

The seriousness in his firm tone was enough to make the blue-haired girl halt in her snickering, though a vague smile was still lining her lips. Her thoughts went through the passed twenty-four hours, and she remembered encountering the annoyingly exuberant male in the forest by the river. She wiped her face clean of her amusement, bringing back her emotionless mask. "You should count yourself lucky. Hatake gave us permission for that fight, and yet, I didn't break your ribs." From the chains that kept her roped to the wall, her hands flex and clenched, involuntarily struggling against the metal shackles. "But don't think that means I wouldn't try to destroy you any other time."

"You know," Sakura said, speaking for the first time since she entered the prison room, "I don't believe you could have always been this threatening."

Kasumi tried to shrug, though the metal rope that pulled her arms in opposite directions made it slightly awkward and painful. "I don't know anyone who was totally dangerous since being born. Though if you find someone like that in the next three days, bring 'em here. I'd love to meet this person. I'd want to know how they survived all these years."

Naruto made a disgusted face at this. "So you're totally fine with being executed? What kind of S-class criminal are you?"

"One who has accepted her fate," the pirate sighed as she rested her azure head against the stone wall behind her.

"But that's not right!" the whiskered boy shouted defiantly, throwing his arms to his sides in exasperation.

Upon hearing this outburst, the sea captain rounded on the male in the room. Her features contorted into an expression of anger, and for the first time, Sakura noticed the physical fatigue and emotional pain in the other girl's face.

"If you're so upset about this, then why don't you break my chains and lead me to safety outside the village then, eh?" Kasumi yelled.

Her hands were fists pulling against the metal rings that tied her to the wall. The knuckles beneath her red gloves were strained white, and her muscles were tensed in anger and aching. Naruto flinched in surprise at the sudden rage pouring off the prisoner, taking a step back as he saw the fury in her charcoal eyes. The girl scoffed when she saw the two ninja retreat a few steps away from her.

"See? Even you, oh noble Hokage-wannabe, don't want to help a lowly prisoner like myself," the criminal sneered. "Just stop deluding yourself. Life's not fair, trust me on that one."

The boy grimaced at this. "I know that…" He knew that all too well.

"No, you don't," Kasumi interrupted fiercely. "You don't know how cruel life can be until you've watched everything slip away from you. You don't know until you realize you've lost everything because you were too naïve to protect what you have. Don't tell me you know, because you don't."

Naruto pouted as he thought on what he had heard. He had heard something similar to those words a long time ago. And they stung a lot. His temper peaked a bit at the accusation in her voice. He wanted to yell at her, tell her that she didn't know anything about him. What he had gone through in his life. But Sakura was there beside him, and as much as he valued any care she bothered to give him, it wasn't worth it to rant to a prisoner and have his teammate watch.

After a deep intake of breath, he continued the conversation, changing the topic. "Yesterday, you told me that the Blue Pirates had integrity, even if we didn't see it." He waved a hand at the prisoner as he kept his firm eyes locked on her coal orbs. "Is this what you meant? Thinking you know when it's over for you?"

Kasumi scowled. Sakura studied the other girl's face, and she couldn't help but think of how the pirate looked about ready to bite at Naruto's hand as he gestured it absentmindedly at her.

"Don't talk to me like I'm your friend," the seadog captain spat.

"I did have a friend like you though," the blonde said.

Sakura's head whipped around to stare at her teammate, giving him an incredulous look. It wasn't hard for her to figure out who he was referring to. "Naruto…" she uttered warily.

The genin, even though it looked as if his imprisoned audience didn't care to pay attention, continued. "He was cocky and thought that he was better than everyone else. He was strong, but he wasn't much of a people person. And his past… it must have been a lot like yours…"

Despite her best efforts to ignore the annoying visitor, that last part caught her interest. She glanced at him out of the corner of her black eyes. "What is that last bit supposed to mean? You don't know anything about what I've gone through."

"I can guess," Naruto shrugged, "because he said that same thing to me. About how I didn't understand him because he had lost everything… while I had had nothing."

Kasumi listened intently, contemplating his words, before she scoffed. She doubted the person they were talking about had gone through the exact same thing as her, but they probably did have a similar outlook on life's brutality.

"And what happened to this person? Does he lead a nefarious pirate crew as well?" she sneered.

Sakura, who had had to stifle a few unwanted tears upon hearing her friend speak of their old teammate, turned away. Naruto hesitated, afraid to offend the pink-haired girl by speaking the words that neither of them wanted to hear.

However, the boy was saved the trouble as Kasumi answered her own question. "He ran away because he thought he was too good for you, right?" she murmured quietly.

"He was brainwashed into thinking that snake bastard could help him!" Naruto shouted, clearly insulted that the pirate thought she knew everything.

Kasumi's orbs widened so suddenly that the whites of her eyes could be seen in the dark and dingy jail cell. She quickly dropped her head in an attempt to shroud her face by draping her azure hair over her facial features. Naruto didn't notice because he was seething with anger, but the pinkette heard, just as she turned to glance at the imprisoned female, the other girl whisper something that sounded like, "Snake…"

Emerald eyes blinked and squinted in confusion. "Naruto, I think it's time to go," the Haruno whispered as she tugged on the orange sleeve of her friend's jumpsuit. "C'mon."

"But…" the blonde began but trailed off after he saw the pointed look the kunoichi shot him. With a sigh and a nod of his golden head, he followed the rosette out of the cell. The ANBU, who had been waiting outside the room, quickly locked the metal entryway and proceeded to lead the teenagers out of the isolated corridor.

Inside the prison chamber, Kasumi made every effort to calm her rapidly beating heart. Inhaling deeply and exhaling shakily, her thoughts swam around the one man who could make her so frightened. Just who was this kid who was stupid enough to go to Orochimaru?

Or was he smart?

The pirate captain bit her lip in thought. The blonde kid had said that she and his friend shared similar pasts. If she was drawing the correct conclusion, that meant he had no family. He had lost everyone, just as she had, though most likely in different circumstances. But details aside, he had gone to Orochimaru for help. To get stronger, that was what he promised all his puppets. Whoever this kid was, he was on a quest to attain more power.

A grimace etched itself across her face. Someone who had nothing left had gone to make up for what he no longer had. He had gone on a hunt to get what he wanted so he could avenge those he had lost. And what had she done when she had lost everything?

She had run.

In a desperate attempt to escape everything, she had defected from her village and tried to take her own life. When that failed, what did she do then?

She had run further away.

Banding together with a bunch of rogues, she had sailed as far away from her old life as she could. She had done everything she could to make sure she never saw that serpent man ever again.

When she came to this stunning realization, Kasumi could only come up with one word that would describe herself and her actions.

Cowardice.

Biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut as if in pain, she slowly began to hit her head against the stone behind her. It was a steady rhythm that brought only a bit of pain to her cranium, but it helped her think about what she had done with her life.

After five whole minutes of banging her head against the rock-hard wall, she stopped. It felt so good when she did, both physically and mentally. There was bound to be a massive purple-black bruise there, but now she knew what she needed to do.

At one point in her lifetime, death had once seemed like a welcoming companion. At one point in her lifetime, she would have let death take her away to a place where pain did not exist emotionally or mentally. Only hours before, death had seemed like a terrific way to cease those tormenting thoughts and guilty memories. Because if there was one thing Kasumi had learned from her stay in Konohagakure, it was that when you try to escape the past, it always finds a way to come back to haunt you.

Well, now it was time to stop running away from her nightmares.

Her charcoal eyes flew open in inspiration. How ironic it was that a mysterious person she had never even met had motivated her to confront what she had always been running away from. If she ever got the chance to meet with this person, she would have to share a long discussion with him.

Experimentally flexing her fingers, Kasumi pursed her lips in thought as she glanced around at her chained body. There was absolutely no way of getting free of her bonds, but she needed to at least do _something_ to alert the Blue Pirates of her plan. Her execution was in three days; she had little time to spare.

Twisting ever so slightly, she began bending her joints and moving her limbs to test her flexibility. As she rotated her wrists and ankles, she blinked in surprise. Something was pressed against her foot in her boot. Quickly looking down, the pirate eyed her left leg with a perked eyebrow. She wiggled her leg, wondering what it was that was now beginning to settle uncomfortable against her foot.

Her eyes widened immediately as a flashback from the night before caught up with her.

The map of the Leaf Village.

"Well, I'll be damned," Kasumi smirked.

With as much effort as she could muster, she began to twist her left ankle in various directions. Her boot was pushed into different angles as she tried to maneuver her foot around. Several times, she felt her ankle and foot crack in response to the diverse and unfamiliar moves, and a few times, she felt as if she were about to sprain or break something. The chain around her left leg jingled and chimed as Kasumi continued to throw her foot around. The metal clasp remained firm, and she almost considered giving up in her attempts to wriggle free.

Then, with pure astonishment adorning her face, the Blue Tiger of the Mist pulled her foot out of her shoe. "Wow…" she muttered, blinking in amazement.

Cocking her head to the side in curiosity, Kasumi gingerly placed her foot on the stone floor. Almost instantly, before the entire weight of her foot touched the ground, she gasped in pain. After all that struggling and wiggling, her foot had been freed at the cost of breaking her ankle.

She hissed as she attempted to move her leg around. Even the slightest movement of her limb brought an agonizing pain to her ankle; she'd have to be careful of moving her foot. Gingerly moving her sock-covered foot over to the still shackled boot, she used her toes to slowly pull the rolled-up parchment from the confines of her shoe. Every accidental twitch of her ankle made her want to cry out in anguish. A little voice in the back of her head was telling her to call for a guard so she could get her broken appendage healed, but she had to finish what she wanted to do first.

After what seemed like eons but were really only minutes of excruciating aching, her toes pulled the map from her chained boot, letting the paper roll open on the stony ground before her. The intricate designs of the village's landmarks and main buildings were displayed to her. The town was divided into different sections with a color code; a key was printed at the top to explain what the diverse hues and tints represented.

The intense pain in her ankle seared and burned deeply, and with a great amount of effort, Kasumi pushed her thoughts of her injury to the back of her mind. Inhaling steadily to gather her concentration, the Blue Tiger bit the inside of her mouth. She could taste the bitter and metallic tang of her blood on her tongue, but it wasn't enough. Swishing the crimson liquid in her mouth, she bit the other side of her mouth, mixing the blood together. It still wasn't enough.

Time after time, she bit skin of the inner cavern that was her mouth, gathering as much red liquid as she could while making sure she didn't swallow any. Finally, Kasumi deemed that she had enough blood settled upon her tongue.

"_This is gonna hurt like a bitch,"_ she thought disdainfully to herself. It felt like forever since she had done this, even though it was really only a few days. Sucking in oxygen through her nose to ready herself, she summoned her chakra.

The shocking sensation that erupted in her arms and legs put all past memories of injuries to shame. The metal chakra bracelets that were clasped to her appendages electrified her body, and her mind told her to stop her chakra flow before she died from the sheer agony. Sobs and cries bubbled in her throat, but she could not release them, for she could not afford to lose the blood she had accumulated into her mouth. Sweat pooled from her scalp to trickle to the spot just above her eyebrows, and gasps racked her body as her lungs pleaded for the air that she could not give.

However, her resolve triumphed over her anguish, and with a final force, she pushed the chakra into her mouth to join the crimson substance. With a tired puff of breath, the prisoner spat the mixture from her mouth onto the map.

As the flow of energy ceased, so did the electrifying shock exhibited from the chakra bracelets. One metal ring had burned her arm the first time she tried it those few days ago. But this idiotic attempt at trumping over the Leaf's prison tools had left visible singes on her upper arms, and she was sure there were identical black burns on her ankles. The joint that she had broken only moments ago screamed in pain as the aftereffects of the lightning-filled fire continued to smolder her appendage.

At least now she knew that the chakra bracelets didn't completely halt her chakra system; they only brought pain to her when she tried to summon her energy.

Panting in grateful gulps of oxygen, Kasumi lifted her tired sapphire head to look at the soiled parchment on the ground. Her chakra-enhanced blood was splattered over the picture of Konoha. The deep red of the liquid mixed with the blues, the greens, the purples, and the other colors of the map. A thin, almost invisible string of steam rose from the blood as the chakra boiled the substance. The pirate could only see the sizzling because she knew it was there; many others probably would not have been able to see the steam rising from the now burning page.

Kasumi's hands flexed into the form of her clan's signature hand sign. Even though her fingers could not connect with one another due to the chains that separated her arms, it was enough to activate her jutsu. She had mastered all aspects of her kekkei genkai long ago.

"Hidden Elemental Release: Blood Bending Jutsu," she whispered.

The boiling of her blood on the map halted, and the smoke that trickled into the air disappeared. The crimson liquid seeped across the paper, spreading out until no spot of the ink could be seen. Her body's substance disintegrated the parchment until nothing was left, dissolving the image of Konohagakure and eating at the map like regular water would dampen a normal piece of paper: crumbling it into soaked pieces until it vanished into nothing.

It only took a few moments before Kasumi's blood had melted the paper, almost as if it had seeped into the cemented ground. Leaning her head back and sighing in relief that the job was done, the pirate captain's thoughts drifted to her first mate.

"Masaru…" she murmured as fatigue overtook her senses. "You better remember to do what I told you before I left…"


	13. How Far We've Come

**Hey y'all! Here is the next chapter of PotM. I hope you like.**

**How Far We've Come by Matchbox Twenty**

* * *

In prison, minutes passed like hours, and hours passed like days. Being chained to a wall all day and all night left muscle soreness in all the wrong places. There was no light to tell the prisoner what time it was or even if it was daytime or nighttime. Her internal clock had been thrown off dramatically, and since no one bothered to tell her what day it was, Kasumi was only able to tell a fraction of time by basing it off the fact that she had yet to be executed.

"_If I'm calculating it correctly, I think my execution is sometime tomorrow,"_ Kasumi mused to herself. A deep impatience was gnawing at the back of her mind, but she managed to keep herself calm my lolling her head to the side against the metal bonds. _"Masaru, I sure hope you bothered to look at that scroll I left you. I only have hours left."_

The jangling of keys aroused the pirate from her thoughts, and she looked up to see her ANBU guard opening her door to approach her. An old porcelain bowl of something disgusting was held in the masked man's hand. The substance was a brown thick liquid, and Kasumi instantly thought of something similar to melted meat.

With a grimace, the prisoner gestured her head toward the far corner of her cell. "You can leave that stuff you call food with the other grotesque meals I won't be eating."

The ANBU man sighed. "You haven't eaten anything in days. Are you sure you don't want breakfast?"

"What's it matter to you?" the girl snapped. "Your Hokage is executing me tomorrow anyway."

The male with the cat mask shrugged and turned to leave the jail, taking the meal with him. Kasumi sent the back of his head vicious glares, and once she was sure that he was gone, she groaned loudly. She made to start bashing her head against the stone wall again, but she had already done that so many times that her blue hair was matted with dried rust-colored blood. The girl let loose a frustrated moan as she leaned her cheek against her shoulder, silently hoping that the man she had depended on for the last four years wouldn't fail her now. Kasumi would have never admitted it to anyone that she needed Masaru, but right now, she couldn't afford to let her pride get the best of her.

* * *

Camping out in the woods during a mission was one thing. Sitting in the exact same spot for two days straight was something else entirely. And sitting with someone who completely irritated the living daylight out of him was definitely not Sasuke Uchiha's idea of enjoyable.

For the past couple days, the two Sound ninja had camped out in a clearing just on the outskirts of their old home. They were nestled in a small yet shrouded meadow hidden in the forest, close enough to be near Konohagakure but far away enough that no Leaf shinobi would stumble upon them by sheer coincidence. If the need had arisen, the Uchiha would have gladly used a genjutsu to cloak his companion and himself; at least then, it would have given him something to do. But whether it be by luck or the universe simply taunting him, no one had come close to their temporary hideout, leaving Sasuke bored out of his mind.

The raven-haired teen leaned against the back of the tree's trunk, attempting to make himself more comfortable upon his perch on the branch. His impassive mask remained as it always did, but the annoyed glare he fixed at the tree opposite of him showed the impatience building up inside him.

A chuckle from below irked him even further, and though he refused to look down at his companion, he knew that he was probably providing more amusement for the bothersome comrade. "Patience is a virtue, Sasuke," Kabuto purred as he tampered with his medical tools and scrolls.

The avenger grimaced as he pulled the black hood of his cloak up to cover his face. This earned a snicker from the medical ninja as he stood to stretch his cramped limbs and sore muscles.

"Why don't you go back to training then?" the gray-haired boy offered.

"I already finished the morning routine," Sasuke replied indifferently.

Kabuto scoffed with a shake of his head. "Well, until you begin your afternoon routine, will you just sit there and sulk?"

A moment of silence passed, and the elder male assumed he had won in the short bantering contest. However, the cool and emotionless voice of the Uchiha cut off his thoughts. "It's better than bothering myself with the likes of you."

Suddenly chagrined, Kabuto frowned disgustedly as he shoved his round spectacles further up his nose. "Moody teenagers…" he uttered. "So disrespectful…"

"How much longer is Orochimaru going to take?" Sasuke spat impatiently. "It's been three days, and he hasn't even bothered to send word of his status. Is he taking his time?"

The medic spun around quickly, glaring up into the tree to shoot the younger boy a heated stare. "Lord Orochimaru deserves the utmost respect, Uchiha. Whether you are in his presence or not, show him proper esteem."

"So we're just supposed to sit and wait for him to show up whenever he feels like it?" the Sharingan user grouchily asked.

"Of course we are," Kabuto shot back defensively.

Thick silence fell upon the two as they turned away from one another to brood in their respective corners of the clearing. Sasuke buried himself deeper into his dark cloak, counting down the minutes until he could disappear into his training. Kabuto went back to playing with his medical supplies, counting and rearranging them for the umpteenth time.

A strange chakra signature suddenly whipped into existence, alerting both shinobi of the unknown presence. The glasses-wearing ninja stood to his full height, bracing his shoulders and tensing his muscles for the person to reveal himself from amongst the brush. The raven-haired boy ever-so-slightly cocked his head to the side, casting a one-sided glance toward the spot where the chakra emanated from.

Behind his round eyeglasses, Kabuto narrowed his observant eyes. Initially, the signature had seemed foreign to him. Now, however, as the presence came closer, he knew who it was.

Kneeling to the green grassy ground, he outstretched his hand toward the bushes. Sasuke noted this odd action and stared at him with confused yet calculating eyes. Then, unexpectedly, a little violet snake slithered in curves toward Orochimaru's assistant. The poison green eyes of the reptile focused upwards toward the ponytailed man, and it lifted its upper half up so that it could be nearly eye level with the human.

"Do you have news?" Kabuto asked. Sasuke narrowed his onyx eyes when he realized that this serpent was the same one that his partner had summoned three days before in the Land of Waves after speaking with Inari.

The small animal elegantly swayed as it balanced on its thin tail, licking its forked black tongue out with quick hisses. After a series of sounds and movements from the creature, it gently laid itself back to the grass, gazing at the human with a look of expectance.

Kabuto nodded understandingly. "Good. You may return now." The snake gave a curt jerk of its tiny mauve head, and within a split second, it had disappeared in a wisp of pale smoke.

The medic took his time standing up, flexing his legs out to get the blood circulating in them again. The boy in the tree glared at him from behind, knowing with absolute certainty that the elder male was taking his time with his measly actions to prolong giving him the information. With a wrinkle of his nose, the Uchiha contemplated asking what news the serpent had relayed, but he refused to give the satisfaction of having to rely on his comrade for news.

Sasuke huffed impatiently, turning the question in his mind into a threat. "Are you going to tell me what the snake said or not?"

With a grin lining his sneaky face, Kabuto turned in a taunting manner to cast a mocking glimpse toward the younger man. "Will you ask me politely, Sasuke?"

The Sharingan user shoved his hood back, revealing his face from beneath the shadows. In a swift and deadly pounce, he leaped from his spot in the tree to land in a catlike crouch just feet away from his higher-up. He slowly stood, elongating his body to its full height, and he lifted his spiky dark head to glare his crimson eyes at the medical ninja.

To Sasuke's slight surprise and immense annoyance, Kabuto's Cheshire grin did not fall as the blood-like gaze met his. "Put the eyes away, Uchiha," Orochimaru's medic chimed. "You'll have plenty of time for that very soon."

The avenger tilted his head to the side doubtfully but grudgingly released his optical powers. "What did the snake say?" he inquired curiously.

Kabuto's smile transformed into an eager smirk as he gave the other boy a knowing look. "Pack your things. Lord Orochimaru shall be here within the hour with his army."

* * *

_The Midnight Thief_ docked in a small harbor just mere miles southeast from Konohagakure. Masaru would have left an entire cell to guard the ship, but since they were to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf Village, he wanted every pirate he could get. So he left the skilled genjutsu user of the crew to remain upon the boat. An advanced illusion would be placed on the vessel to hide it from any bystanders and, hopefully, most shinobi. If everything went as he wanted, only the Blue Pirates would be able to find the ship simply because they knew the exact location of its spot on the dock.

After sheer moments of docking the large midnight blue vessel, Masaru and the seven teams were off, scattering themselves into the woods. The temporary captain was flying solo through the forest while the other members of the Original Nine led their teams of four. Akira's team was short one member, since the fourth was guarding the ship, but the captain was sure that the cells were distributed fairly evenly.

The leaders of each squad were wired with a radio headset that the pirates had nabbed in one of their previous raids a while back. Kasumi had never found any use for them, but then again, she had never organized the crew into separate squads like shinobi teams. Masaru wanted to make sure that he was connected to each group once they were in the village. During the heat of the invasion, he wasn't going to risk another screw-up like he made against the Mist ninja.

A sense of pride at organizing the crew into groups settled into the captain's gut. It was very untraditional to have pirates be organized by any means. But Masaru liked to think that the Blue Pirates had never been customary or conventional in any way, especially since the beginning.

Each squad was designed based on ability, and each team was given a separate task when it came to raids and invasions. Initially, at least. There were the primary penetrating teams who cleared the weak points of entry. There were the original thieving teams who raided the main buildings of value. Then there were the main striking teams who created the large distractions of attacks and chaos. Once everything was accomplished, the real destruction began with all groups unleashing their powers. That part was what Kasumi enjoyed best, so Masaru would be sure to keep it that way until he retrieved her from the village.

However, as the scarf-donning pirate headed deeper and deeper into the forest, a sense of gnawing incompletion was troubling him in the back of his mind. Somewhere in his brain, he felt as if he was forgetting something. But what? He had incorporated his best shinobi training and criminal experience into explaining to the team captains on what to do. He had instructed each team on what their assignment was once they were in the village. He had thought out everything he could have possibly planned utilizing the knowledge he had.

So what was he forgetting abo-

His jade eyes widened largely as he quickly threw his heels into the ground, skidding against the dirt as he halted in his path. Dust flew up around his feet as his boots slid across the dirt-crusted ground, and his breath became ragged from the combination of his traveling and his now frantic remembrances. As if struck by a lightning bolt, the flash of a memory appeared suddenly in his mind.

~Flashback~

"Masaru," Kasumi said sternly.

The young man met her coal gaze with his lighter eyes, and he kept his mouth in a thin and straight line. She leaned back in her chair, propping her heeled boots upon her wooden desk. The nimble fingers of her right curled beside her lips while her other hand gripped a red scroll. The kanji for 'blood' was scribbled in black on the cover, and she gently placed it in the center of her writing table.

"When I am in the Village Hidden in the Leaves," she continued as she stood up from her seat, "one of my goals will be to find any information I can on the town. Entrances, exits, buildings, whatever. I will use my kekkei genkai to send the information to you, and it will appear printed in this scroll exactly as it appears when I find it. I can't guarantee that I will be able to send anything, but you need to check this scroll anyway before you begin the invasion. Understood?"

Her first mate nodded comprehendingly. "Got it."

"Don't fail me, Masaru," Kasumi smiled.

"Of course not," the raven-haired boy smirked.

~End Flashback~

He had never felt so stupid. He had never forgotten simple instructions like that before, and now it could cost the Blue Pirates this entire invasion on one of the most powerful forces in the shinobi world.

Cursing to himself repeatedly, he threw his hand to his ear, turning the microphone on the radio on. "Hey, guys, can you hear me?"

"You're on," Osamu replied immediately.

"What is it?" Akira asked.

Masaru turned around and flew into the trees, heading back the way he had come. "I'm heading back to the ship."

He could practically hear the other criminals stop in their running and leaping. "Do you want us to retreat?" Tsubame inquired, unable to keep the impatience out of her voice.

"No, I'm going back on my own," the captain replied.

"So then what the heck are we doing?" Hayashi shouted into the radio, clearly frustrated with whatever was going on.

Masaru sprinted off a branch while manipulating the wind around him to push him further. "I need you all to stop a few miles away from your designated points of infiltration. I need to go back to get something."

"You seriously forgot something at a time like this?" Rikuto yelled in outrage.

"Just shut up and do as I say," the Blue Pirate captain shot back. "I'll be at the _Thief_ in five minutes. I'll wire you then."

Mutters and mumbles of compliance sounded over the radio in harmony before everyone hung up to go back to their traveling. No longer distracted, Masaru was able to put on a burst of quickness by picking up a tornado of air around him, and he sped through the forest like a cyclone. As he focused on maneuvering through the trees, he silently prayed that the Blood Scroll would have something printed on it. Otherwise, he was wasting more time. And he couldn't afford to fail again.

* * *

Strolling down the isolated gray hallway of the underground prison proved to be a rather eerie experience, especially when alone. A shiver shot up and down his spine beneath his orange jacket, and Naruto gulped at the creepy and haunting sensation the place gave off as he made his way further toward her cell. The dull cemented walls and lack of free oxygen made him feel almost claustrophobic, even though he was free to turn and leave if he so chose, unlike the prisoner he was about to visit.

He had asked Sakura and Sai if they wanted to accompany him, but both had declined. And Kakashi was just nowhere to be found anyway, so that was out of the question. Most of the other shinobi in his age group had already visited Kasumi once, and they didn't seem to want to see her again afterwards. Probably because she kept snapping at everyone.

As he headed deeper into the prison, he really wished someone had agreed to go with him. The cold and lonely corridor made him huddle into his shoulders for warmth that his body didn't seem to have anymore. At last, he had made it to the iron door that barred the prisoner inside. The ANBU guard on watch, a female with shimmering pale blonde hair, had her arms crossed over her chest in a look that gave off an air of boredom yet alertness at the same time. Her face, shielded by a white bear mask, gestured toward the door behind her.

"Someone else is already in there, but you can go in as well," the woman said coolly as she opened the cage door for him to enter.

Naruto blinked in surprise but nonetheless walked into the small dingy and dank cell. The only source of light came from the small barred window of the door as it closed behind him, but it provided enough glow for him to make out the figures of the prisoner chained to the wall and an indigo-haired girl with a large sweat jacket. "Hinata?" he asked, squinting against the darkness to see if it was really the shy girl.

A shocked squeak was his reply, which confirmed his suspicions. "H-Hello, N-Naruto," the kunoichi whispered.

Naruto gave a small yet bewildered smile as he met his azure eyes to her pale ones. "What are you doing here? I thought no one else wanted to come see her."

"Thanks for that," Kasumi muttered sarcastically from off to the side. "It's not like I enjoy seeing any of you either."

Hinata casted a sidelong glance towards the criminal that the blonde could only assume was a look of understanding. "I brought l-lunch for her, since she h-hasn't been eating anything," the heiress said. She lifted a small bento box filled with pork, rice, and vegetables, a deliciously crafted meal that was still untouched.

"That looks great, Hinata!" the Uzumaki exclaimed. He looked over to the blue-haired teenager, completely missing the red tint that was painting itself over his fellow ninja's face. "You can't be a little nice and eat it? She made it for you!"

Kasumi chuckled dryly and then scoffed. "I don't let people feed me, and I don't need food anyway. I'm going to die tomorrow, right?"

"But you look terrible!" the whiskered boy shouted as he waved a hand up and down, motioning toward her bony body. Her clothes, filthy and matted with grime and sweat, were now hanging off her once petite yet muscled frame like rags. Her hands, bloodied from the shackles around her wrists, looked like they belonged to a skeleton's decayed form. Even her face looked a bit sunken in behind the curtains of cerulean locks.

"Thank you," the Mayonaka uttered as she rolled her eyes. "As if I didn't know what I looked like already."

"Eat the food!" Naruto ordered, pointing toward the little lunchbox settled in Hinata's hands.

The pirate perked a thin blue eyebrow as she looked between the two shinobi. A secretive smirk played at the corners of her lips, and Hinata stiffened while the Jinchuuriki simply continued to look enraged. "Why don't you eat it, Uzumaki? I'm sure Hinata would love for you to try her food."

The Hyuuga girl squealed lightly again, turning a very bright shade of red as the blood rushed to her face. Naruto, oblivious as he always was, looked at the criminal incredulously as his brows pulled together in confusion. "She made it for you!" he repeated. "Show some respect."

Kasumi cackled that witch-like laugh of hers, baring her white teeth, the only part of her body that appeared unsullied. "It's like you don't know me at all. Since when do I show respect?" she choked out through her snickers and laughs. "Hinata, go on, give the food to Naruto. Because you know I'm not going to eat it, no matter what you do."

The Byakugan user looked away, almost in shame, unable to meet either her crush's or the prisoner's eyes. The orange-clad boy caught a glimpse of her downcast expression, which only fueled his anger toward the pirate. Somehow, he concluded, Kasumi always managed to make everyone around her upset. She had gone too far with hurting the sensitive girl's feelings.

"Shut your yap, pirate!" Naruto scolded, pointing ferociously at her chained form. "Apologize to her right now!"

To his chagrin, Kasumi totally ignored him; she set her coal-colored eyes right on the Hyuuga heiress's face. She didn't attempt to catch Hinata's gaze; she merely sent her a stern glare. "Hinata," she chided. After that, she said nothing further, only continuing to stare at the white-eyed girl.

Naruto's pointed finger slowly fell to his side as his eyebrows knitted together in befuddlement. His anger deflated immensely as he looked over to the kunoichi. Gradually, she turned her face back around, and he thought he saw her send a grateful smile in Kasumi's direction. Before he had time to wonder if he really had seen the secret look between the two girls, Hinata was facing him, holding the boxed lunch out to him.

"I-I would hate for this to g-go to waste," the Hyuuga said. Her characteristically shy smile was etched across her lips, but unlike most times when he talked to her, she was keeping eye contact with him. "Kasumi won't eat it, s-so will you, N-Naruto?"

Surprised and, for lack of a better word, outright confused, Naruto could do nothing except graciously accept the offer. "Uh… thanks, Hinata. But are you sure you don't want me to shove it down Kasumi's throat for you? I mean, you made it for her and everything…"

A nervous giggle escaped her throat, and her hands came up to cover her mouth as she fidgeted with her arms and fingers. "It's okay. I-I want you to have it, N-Naruto," she said quietly.

Pursing his lips in thought, the genin looked at the box filled with delicious-looking food, and he gave his friend his signature fox grin. "Thanks a bunch, Hinata. I appreciate this!"

The chuunin's face turned into the color of a tomato, but she nonetheless met his gaze with her own friendly and shy smile. Then she scurried toward the door, waving a goodbye to the two remaining people in the room before disappearing.

Naruto turned back to face the person he had initially come to see only to find that she wasn't even looking at him. She was staring at the ground, a forlorn expression painted across her normally fierce face. It was almost astonishing to see such a miserable look on her face. Not wanting to break the silence or the moment, the boy simply watched her glance at the stony floor, wondering what adjective matched the look on her features. Nostalgic? Longing? Sad? Thoughtful? Wishful?

It was if she could feel his eyes burning into her, for she quickly looked up to match his wondering expression with her own vicious facial appearance. "So what did you come here for?" she asked sternly.

Wrinkling his nose at how fast she had changed demeanors, the Uzumaki sat down opposite her on the cold stone ground as he placed the lid on his lunch. "I just wanted to talk to you before you were executed."

"Why?" Kasumi asked, not even bothering to mask the disbelief in her tone.

The jumpsuit-donning boy shrugged as he laced his hands behind his golden head. "Because I still think you're not as terrible as you like everyone to believe you are."

The Mayonaka girl rolled her eyes at this. "We've gone over this, kid. I'm an S-class criminal, an infamous pirate captain, a renowned missing-nin. What makes you think I'm not terrible?"

"Because when we fought at the river the other day," Naruto reminded, sending her a calculating stare, "you were very defensive of your crew. If you were as bad as you made yourself out to be, you wouldn't care about anyone but yourself. But you care about your crew, which means there has to be a good person in there somewhere."

Kasumi narrowed her black eyes in his direction, squinting against the darkness of the jail. She tilted her head in a doubtful manner as she considered him disbelievingly. "So I care about my people. How do you figure that makes me a good person?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose again, this time in deep thought. He fingered his chin absentmindedly as he stared off into space. "It just means you do have kindness somewhere in you, I guess."

She jeered in reply to his response. "You don't sound too sure of yourself there."

Throwing his hands up in the air distractedly, he leaned forward on his elbows to look at her more clearly. "So why do you do what you do? Why do you do all these bad things?"

Kasumi's mocking grin fell completely as she stared at him. She cocked her eyebrow as she asked, "Why do you want to know? Do you want pointers or something?"

"No!" he shot back defensively. "I just want to know what happened to you to make you so coldhearted."

The criminal's forehead creased at his words, and she scowled at him. "You can't help me, if that's what you're trying to do. It's too late for that."

"It's never too late," the boy muttered quietly. "I don't think it would be right for you to die tomorrow thinking you're a bad person. I think that's a horrible way to go…"

"But if I am a bad person, isn't it right for me to acknowledge that?" Kasumi responded.

"Do you like being a bad person?" Naruto countered, a bit of frustration leaking into his remark.

This made the girl halt, and she turned away stubbornly to avoid his piercingly bright blue eyes. "Why do you insist on bugging me, kid?"

"I just want to know why you're so angry all the time!" the blonde confessed as he gestured toward her. "I think you have a similar past to my friend, and if I can't help you, then…"

This immediately caught the pirate's attention, and she turned back to look at him shrewdly. "Then you can't help him."

His yellow head nodded sullenly, his now solemn face fixed on the black floor made of cemented stone.

Kasumi watched him for a few silent moments, neither of the two speaking nor attempting to make eye contact. With a sigh, the blue-haired girl shrugged her shoulders as much as the metal shackles would allow. "Kid, do you know why we are called the Blue Pirates?"

The genin looked up at this, his face now portraying an expression of wonder. "Um… Isn't it because you have blue hair?"

Kasumi's eye twitched; somehow, she figured he would say something stupid like that, but it didn't help the fact that she couldn't slap him in the head for being so dumb. "No, you idiot," she hissed. "Blue is the color of depression. Each member of my crew has been faced with hardships, and we each know what it feels like to drown and wallow in sadness."

A similar look to when Hinata had left crossed the pirate's face, the expression that Naruto had been unable to name. It wasn't exactly the same, but it was comparable to it. In addition, unlike the other expression, he was able to place a name to this one. It was the face of someone who was remembering emotional pain, pain that never seemed to disappear, pain that ate away at the heart until there was nothing left.

He knew that look all too well. He used to wear that face when he was younger, when he had been alone in his apartment, no one there to see him cry.

"But blue can also mean stability and integrity," Kasumi continued. "Each of us needed something we could keep a hold to, something to keep us from falling into insanity… Some of us more than others really needed it…" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at that last part, but she kept on speaking before he could interrupt her. "And each of us has our own morals, and those are what drives us forward." She didn't realize she had focused her midnight black eyes on the ground, but once she had finished her speech, she looked up to stare into the bright eyes of her audience. "Do yourself a favor, kid. If you want to help your friend, you need to relate to him. Otherwise, he won't even give you another glance."

Naruto hadn't heard Kasumi sound so deep since their fight by the river. These were the only instances he could remember her ever being anything but sarcastic, cocky, or mean. Her words provided a lot of insight into who she was and what kind of person she was, though he wasn't anywhere near close enough to figuring every piece of her out yet. But he felt like he understood her a bit better, and maybe he understood Sasuke a little bit better now as well.

Without a word, he scooped up his boxed lunch and stood up. He gave the prisoner a small yet considerate smile as he headed toward the door. He was just about to turn the iron knob when he heard her speak again.

"Hey, kid," she called out, her voice coming out cracked and hoarse, a side effect of the lack of food. He stopped in his tracks but kept his eyes on the metal exit. "Naruto," she added. This made him turn around to face her, his face illustrating his surprise. It was the first time she had ever called him by his name. "Keep doing what you're doing," she murmured. "That whole hero act you have going for you… It'll get you killed for sure… But if you use it right, maybe things will work out for you… Just don't make any stupid choices…"

Naruto inhaled sharply at her words, struck by her genuinely kind tone. Before he could help it, his famous cheeky grin stretched widely across his face. "Thanks, Kasumi."

* * *

Amongst his frantic panicking, Masaru nearly forgot where he and his crew had left _The Midnight Thief_. As he burst through the dense trees of the forest, his emerald eyes glanced around the small abandoned harbor, trying to remember where the now invisible ship was docked. He could barely sense the chakra of the advanced genjutsu, which was overall a good thing, but for now, it was truly very bothersome.

He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere while in his frazzled state. Quickly slapping himself in the face to calm himself, he inhaled deeply to steady his nerves. A light pink mark was forming on his right cheek as a result, but he didn't much care as he closed his eyes and concentrated his energy to focus fully on the task at hand. Locating the darn boat.

With another deep breath, he let his senses overtake his mind. His chakra swirled around in his chest, his fingers, his nose, his ears, his eyes, every part of his body as he traced the spiritual energy back to the genjutsu.

His jade orbs flew open and darted to the left once he found it. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he sprinted to the invisible ship. As he ran, he threw his hands into a particular hand sign and muttered, "Release." Almost immediately, the image of the still water and the vacant spot on the dock blurred and shimmered until the majestic and vast dark blue ship glistened into view.

Masaru easily scaled the ship by adding chakra to his feet, and he launched himself over the edge onto the deck. Saburo, the genjutsu user who had been left to protect the ship, looked at his captain with shocked golden eyes. The scarf-wearing pirate nodded curtly as he dashed toward the back of the vessel, where the cabins for the captain and first mate were nestled.

"Captain?" Saburo's voice called out in confusion as he followed the younger man into the back. "What's going on? I thought you were leading the invasion."

"I forgot something," Masaru murmured quickly as he approached a certain dark-wooden door. Hardly anyone was allowed to enter this cabin, and that was usually only with permission.

The genjutsu-skilled pirate watched his temporary leader in bewilderment as the raven-haired boy summoned the courage to open the door. "That's Captain Mayonaka's cabin," Saburo said cautiously.

"I'm aware," Masaru replied impatiently as he shoved the door open, repeating to himself that he had permission to be in here even though she was not present. She had given him orders to get the scroll, so he was allowed to be here. She wouldn't slice him to pieces for coming in.

Saburo panicked as he hurried forward to stand just outside the threshold of the forbidden cabin. He clamped his hand over his yellow eyes in an attempt to prevent himself from looking into the captain's room, the hairs of his crimson-colored hair tickling his fingers. "I thought nobody was allowed in here when she wasn't around!" he yelled nervously, turning his head this way and that to locate the first mate in the room he couldn't see.

"I'm hardly nobody," the nineteen-year-old responded as he redirected himself toward Kasumi's mahogany desk. He kept his jade eyes glued to his target, making sure to not glance around at any of her other belongings, for fear of accidentally invading her privacy. He quickly snatched the red scroll from the place where she had left it and tore the seal open. The white page opened up before, completely blank.

At first, Masaru growled in frustration, angry at himself for wasting time for nothing. But then, when he peered closely, he saw a blotch of something appear in the center of the page. He squinted as he stared at it, trying to decipher what it was. And then he realized it was a printed blot of blood. Kasumi's blood.

As if drawn with an invisible hand, lines emerged on the page, which then turned into shapes, which then distinguished themselves as buildings, entrances, and landmarks. Then he realized it was a map of Konohagakure.

Despite his near panic attack and previously frustrated thoughts, a relieved smile gradually pulled at his lips. He had made the right choice in coming back for this, it hadn't been a waste of time. He mentally berated himself for forgetting to check Kasumi's Blood Scroll in the first place, but better late than never, right?

Still staring at the page before him, he marched toward the exit, slamming the door shut behind him and shoving poor Saburo, who was still blindfolded by his own hand, out of the way. The genjutsu pirate stammered as he nearly lost his balance, and he took the chance to look up, still worried at seeing Captain Mayonaka's quarters. He was reassured to see that the door was closed but stuttered again when he saw that his temporary chief was leaving him behind.

"S-So, Captain Inoue?" he asked nervously as he ran to catch up to the younger man. "What is going on?"

Masaru blinked in surprise, as if he had just remembered that there was someone onboard with him. He looked up at the redhead incredulously. "You're still to the guard the ship, of course," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was completely obvious. "I'll call you if something is wrong."

Saburo's mouth fell open in astonishment, and he turned around toward the cabins as if he could see the previous scene replay before him again. Looking back at his captain with clear confusion written on his face, he asked, "So… What just happened? And…" He furrowed his red eyebrows as he pointed to the boy's cheek, a clear pink handprint becoming very visible on the soft skin now. "Did someone slap you?"

Masaru smacked Saburo's pointed finger away as he marched away to the rail of the ship. "I'll wire you if something comes up. Until then, just keep watch," he ordered. And within a moment, he had disappeared from the boat and back into the woods, leaving the red-haired man to scratch the back of his head in puzzlement.

The captain easily manipulated the wind around him to speed him up; with any luck, he'd be at Konohagakure within minutes. While clutching the page with the map of the Leaf Village in one hand, he used his free hand to activate his radio headset. "Hey guys, can you hear me?"

"It's about time, man!" Hayashi's loud voice roared over the listening aide.

The green-eyed male grimaced at the booming tone of the obnoxious man. "I have what I need now, so there's going to be a bit of change in the plans."

He could almost hear a couple people face-palming. "You have got to be kidding me!" Tsubame whined.

"What exactly did you go back to the ship to get, Captain?" Osamu asked calmly yet still very curious as to what could have been so important as to hold up their plans to retrieve their original leader.

"It's a map," Masaru replied, holding the scroll a little closer to his face. "A very detailed map of Konoha sent by Kasumi herself." He was met with silence over the radio, which meant that he now had everyone's full attention. "I'm going to read off the new locations and coordinates to you guys, where I want you to lead your teams and commence the plans exactly as we originally discussed. Got it?"

"Roger that, Captain Inoue," seven voices rang out in unison over the microphones.

The nineteen-year-old smiled at hearing the confirmations of his comrades. "Good. We're on our way to retrieving Captain Mayonaka."

* * *

This was terrible. This was awful. This was just getting downright frustrating.

It took all of her willpower to not start screaming and bashing the back of her head into the stony wall behind her. The medical ANBU who visited her every so often kept annoyingly reprimanding her for having so many injuries, such as the twisted ankle a couple days before, the raw skin around her wrists, and the continuously bleeding skull.

Because of course, the Leaf Village wanted the Blue Tiger of the Mist to be in perfect condition when they chopped her head off the next day. Or would they hang her with a noose like the traditional way for killing pirates? Maybe stone her to death? Shove a kunai into every nerve of her body until she died from blood loss?

And when that was done, what would they do with her body? Perform an autopsy to discover whatever secrets she had? Throw her in the dumpster? Hang her corpse on a pole for all to see?

"Okay, that's it," Kasumi growled in frustration. She couldn't take this anymore. Her mind was swimming around in so many thoughts that she was drowning in outrageous scenarios of what would happen in the next twenty-four hours. _"Where… are… they?"_ she thought, slamming the back of her head into the wall with each word.

The rusty creaking sound of her steel door opening made her freeze in her actions, and she opened one of her closed eyelids to sneak a peek at her visitor.

"You know," a lazy voice drawled out, "if you bang your head against the wall hard enough, it can give you a concussion."

Kasumi slowly opened both eyes to give a full glare at her silver-haired company. "Oh, really?" she countered sarcastically. "Shall we test it out on you? Let's see what kind of brain damage befalls you once I crack your skull against the ground."

"Big talk coming from someone with all four main limbs tied to a wall," Kakashi remarked as he pulled his little orange book from his pouch. He flipped it open to a page somewhere in the middle of the novel and began to read with his uncovered eye.

This made the pirate scowl. "It's amazing how you come all the way to an underground prison and sit in a dark and dingy cell just to read your stupid dirty book." The jounin simply shrugged, which only infuriated the girl even more. "What did you come down here for, Hatake?"

Kakashi took his time tearing his onyx eye away from the page, but when he finally did make eye contact with the teenager, he snapped the book shut and leaned against the wall to give the girl a considering stare. "Are you going to be polite while I talk to you?"

Kasumi's mouth slightly fell open at the almost fraternal tone he was using. "You sound like a dad."

"Are you or are you not?" Kakashi asked, ignoring her comment.

The cerulean-haired female rolled her eyes. "Whatever, as long as you don't whip out that stupid erotic novel."

"Fair enough," the ninja shrugged as he pocketed the book back into its faithful spot. Crossing his arms over his vest-covered chest, he eyed the criminal thoughtfully. "I came to discuss your execution tomorrow."

"Oh goodie," the girl murmured almost inaudibly.

Kakashi continued, choosing to ignore her sarcasm. "Lady Hokage is allowing-"

Kasumi never did find out what it was that Tsunade was allowing, for an incredibly loud and screeching crash emanating from outside the prison cell cut the jounin off in mid-sentence. He was standing straight up in a flash and threw the metal door open, letting it collide piercingly against the tiled gray wall. The jounin stood on the threshold that separated the jail cell from the outside corridor, blocking the girl's view of what was going on in the hallway.

She watched from behind as Kakashi slid into a battle crouch. "You…" he snarled out in a tense, battle-ready tone.

The Blue Tiger had to strain against her bonds to peer over his silvery white hair to see who 'You' was. When she finally spotted the figure at the end of the hall stalking closer to her prison, her coal eyes widened.


End file.
